Cignetti primed for Victoria Derby test
New Zealand-bred gelding Cignetti (NZ) (Super Seth) will carry the hopes of trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young in Saturday’s A$3 million Gr.1 Howden Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington.
The Cranbourne-based partnership turns to the three-year-old a week after their Cox Plate runner Blind Raise (NZ) (Ace High) weakened to finish 10th, and they have engaged William Pike, who won last Saturday’s Cox Plate aboard Cosmic Crusader (NZ) (Maurice).
Cignetti has won one of his six starts, scoring first-up at Sale in August before three minor placings, including a narrow third behind King Snitz (Snitzel) in the Norman Robinson Stakes earlier this month.
Busuttin believes the son of Super Seth has been short on luck this preparation and is due a change of fortune.
“Apart from not winning, he is doing everything right,” Busuttin said.
“He is going to get the 2500m all day.”
Busuttin expects an open contest, with Chris Waller’s Stormy Marco (Wootton Bassett) the early favourite and last Saturday’s Gr.2 Drummond Golf Vase winner True Rebel (Rebel Dane) next in the market.
“That horse (True Rebel) won (the Vase last Saturday), but it wasn’t like it was ‘wow’. It’s going to be a pretty even field,” he said.
Cignetti has drawn barrier 12 in a capacity field of 16.
Busuttin won the Derby in 2011 with Sangster (NZ) (Savabeel), while he and Young prepared last year’s runner-up Arcora (Justify).
