Morton keen for Elite Street to take place at Flemington

Daniel Morton remains hopeful Elite Street will take his place in Saturday’s Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) but the WA trainer concedes it’s unlikely he will be able to make the journey from Perth.

Elite Street and stablemate Kissonallforcheeks are booked to fly out of Perth on Monday night for Melbourne with the latter set to contest the Group 3 The Vanity on the same day at Flemington.

However, Morton has been forced to re-evaluate those plans after a coronavirus case in Melbourne last week has seen COVID restrictions tightened for interstate travellers.

“There is a bit going on and we are not 100% sure if we are able to go yet,” Morton told The Herald Sun on Sunday afternoon.

“They are booked to fly out tomorrow evening so as it stands right now, I don‘t think I would be able to go with the horses.

“Under RV restrictions I would need a COVID test on the first day, which is fine, but then again later in the week which would rule me out for the whole week.

“We still have a few options to send them over there to someone else that we will have to discuss with connections.

“We will have to make a decision by midday tomorrow.”

Mark Zahra will ride Elite Street. Photo: Pat Scala/Racing Photos via Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

Elite Street is rated a $15 chance with TAB.com.au to win the Lightning Stakes with Mark Zahra booked to ride the West Aussie gun.

The son of Street Boss has been given a freshen up in preparation for his Victorian raid after last producing a new career high when scoring in the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes.

The performance encouraged Morton to test Elite Street against some of the best sprinters in the country down the Flemington straight and the four-year-old has continued to impress at his Ascot base.

“He is very good,” Morton said.

“We have wanted to test him over there and have had a high opinion of him for a while.

“Of course we are under no illusions about the sort of talent he is going to be up against but his Winterbottom run was no fluke. He is a nice horse.”

It’s shaping as a cracking edition of the Black Caviar Lightning with top liners Nature Strip and Bivouac joined by three-year-old runs September Run and Swats That among the contenders.

Godolphin star Bivouac is the $2.60 favourite with TAB in early markets.

Originally published asWA raider’s Lightning bid in the balance

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