Punters urged to forgive Elite Street’s Lightning flop

Perth trainer Dan Morton says Elite Street has bounced back from his Lightning Stakes failure, urging punters to forgive the performance ahead of the Saturday’s time-honoured Newmarket Handicap.

The West Australian raider suffered an exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage after pulling up in last place in the Lightning Stakes, but Morton said an eye-catching jump out at Flemington last week should leave punters in no doubt that Elite Street can show his best in the Newmarket.

Elite Street should be forgiven ahead of Saturday’s Newmarket Handicap, according to trainer Dan Morton.Credit:Getty Images

“It was what we needed to see,” Morton said.

“I let Mark [Zahra] have a bit of a feel of him so we weren’t kidding ourselves.

“Pretty much [every horse] in the trial had the handbrake firmly on behind us so it’s hard to get a guide on anything there – I wouldn’t be getting too excited that he beat the field – but he did what he had to do and gave Mark a good feel, so it’s onwards and upwards.”

While Lightning Stakes runner-up September Run will take a ton of beating in Saturday’s 1200-metre sprint up the Flemington straight, it was only two starts ago that Elite Street won the group 1 Winterbottom Stakes over the same distance in Perth, beating Celebrity Queen, who came out and won the Oakleigh Plate in a dead-heat.

Morton said the Newmarket was a more suitable race for Elite Street in his two Melbourne runs.

“It was always going to be the better option given the depth of weight-for-age horses over there,” he said.

“It was always going to be the preferred option and it’s the bigger race, so we just need to get him there in the right frame of mind.

“As I was saying to Mark, the damage was done before he got in the barriers the other day.

“He was out of sorts, he was too wound up and just never switched off at any point from the get go.

“We’ll have to put that one down to experience and hopefully get there in the right frame of mind on Saturday.”

After Lunar Fox claimed the Australian Guineas last Saturday as the highest-priced group 1 winner in Australian racing history, Morton said punters should write off Elite Street at their own peril.

“I think it would be wise to [forgive him]. It was too bad to be true, we had reasons for it on the day,” he said.

“At probably cricket score odds going into this one he probably is worth having something on.

“I’m not here to make up numbers; the horse is a quality horse. We’ve obviously got a lot of ground to make up, I’m under no illusions there, but I’m very happy with where the horse is at.”

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