Chetwood ready for the big time

All is in order for Chetwood to step up from the ranks of promising young sprinters to those of genuine weight-for-age performers when he resumes in the G2 Australia Stakes at Moonee Valley on Friday, January 27.

Chetwood reeled off four wins from the only four starts of his previous preparation, the most recent in the Listed Weekend Hussler Stakes at Caulfield in October when he was untroubled to score by two lengths.

Trainer John O’Shea immediately set his sights on an Autumn return to racing in Melbourne choosing he same path as that taken by former stablemate Holler who was a first-up winner of last year’s Australia Stakes.

“He’s been set for this and he’s shown us with what he’s done at home that he’s ready,” O’Shea said.

“All I wanted was to drew out a bit and he’s come up with barrier eight which should suit him nicely.

“He’s trialled very well and this looks an ideal race for him.”

O’Shea said Chetwood, who will be ridden on Friday by James Doyle, will use the race as a lead-up to the G1 CF Orr Stakes run at Caulfield on February 11.

The stable will also run the three-year-old Peacock who O’Shea also sees as a colt ready to make his presence felt.

“He has similar form lines to Holler, and they proved pretty good this time last year,” he said.

“He’s had a nice spell and made good improvement, which he needs to do because there’s a pretty strong group of three-year-old sprinters coming through.”

Peacock’s good form of last Spring is backed by an impressive pedigree, the colt being the first foal of winning mare Iridescente, a half-sister to the outstanding Hong Kong sprinter Absolute Champion and the Australian-bred South African G1 performer Wylie Hall.

Peacock will be ridden on Friday by Craig Williams in a race that features three-time G1 winners Black Heart Bart and Turn Me Loose along with Malaguerra, Mourinho and Palentino who have also been successful at G1 level.