Gold Standard gets fitted with headgear for Saturday (photo: Wayne Marks)
The latest changes report for the 2018 Sun Met meeting notes that Glen Kotzen’s Met charge Gold Standard will be fitted with blinkers for Saturday’s race.
Glen Kotzen – excited and confident
Asked why they had decided to add the headgear, Glen told us, “It was a thought when he didn’t quicken up in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate, but my way of thinking is that the Queen’s Plate was run in a really slow time, all the horses finished on top of each other and I don’t think the form will stand up.”
He explains that because the field were so bunched up, Gold Standard was unable to come from off the pace as he prefers. “He took his time to get into stride when the jockey asked and took an extra 2 or 3 strides to quicken up. Blinkers give you a more instant reaction. We tried him with the blinkers at home and the response was instant, so we’ve decided to add them for Saturday.”
“We think pace is going to be crucial in the Met and we won’t have the luxury of waiting 3 strides. We think the pace will be slow early on and then turn into a sprint for home and we need to be ready to be able to go with them immediately. We think the blinkers will help to get that turn of foot a bit quicker.”
Asked what he makes of his chances, he adds, “I think a lot of people wrote him off after the Queen’s Plate, but it’s a big ask for a horse that is not a true miler and we were intrigued by his performance. We are excited and optimistic for Saturday.”
