Wexford stables are hoping for a resurgence in form from Group One performer Giovanni Canaletto when he tackles the 0800 Horsevets 2100 at Ellerslie on Sunday.

 

The Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained seven-year-old tailed the field home in the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) at the Auckland track on New Year’s Day and his connections are hoping a step-up in distance and the addition of blinkers will assist their charge.

 

“We expected a lot more on New Year’s Day in the Rich Hill Mile,” Scott said. “He will run with blinkers on for the first time. 

 

“He’s bred to run longer distances and his best form is over the longer trip. We have just got to hope that now he is up in distance he becomes more competitive because we can’t knock the way he is working. 

 

“He’s working in a manner that suggests he’s in top form. He’s needed the racing and he’s going to come back to what we hope or something close to it this weekend.”

 

Scott said plans for the Galileo gelding remain unclear, but they will have a better idea after Sunday’s contest.

 

“Sunday is going to determine a lot of things and which way we head with him,” he said. “We are hoping to go along the weight-for-age route, we thought he’d be up to that, or he might just stick to the handicaps. We are just really hoping he can bring his A game on the weekend.”