Last year's G1 Queen Elizabeth S. winner Criterion (NZ) (Sebring {Aus}) is set to follow the same path to defending that A$4 million crown at The Championships in Sydney Apr. 9, co-trainer Tom Dabernig told Racing.com. The Sir Owen Glenn silkbearer finished third first-up in last year's G1 Canterbury S. and second in the G1 George Ryder S. before winning Australia's richest weight-for-age race, and the 5-year-old is set to take in those same contests in Sydney Mar. 5 and 19.
“He'll be going straight up to Sydney,” Dabernig, who trains Criterion with his uncle, David Hayes, told Racing.com. “He seems in great order. He's at the farm and doing well.”
After visits to Hong Kong and Europe last year, Criterion returned Down Under to take the G1 Caulfield S. He finished second in the G1 Cox Plate and third in the G1 Melbourne Cup and was last seen finishing ninth in the G1 Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin Dec. 13.
Dabernig also provided an update on the stable's G1 Thousand Guineas winner Stay With Me (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}), who has been on the shelf since finishing sixth in the G1 Myer Classic Oct. 31. Dabernig told Racing.com she will go first-up in the G2 Light Fingers S. Feb. 13 then progress to the G2 Surround S. two weeks later before possibly aiming for the G1 Coolmore Classic Mar. 12.
“She definitely hasn't gone backwards,” he said. “I don't know if we look at her through rose-coloured glasses, but to my eye, she's flying.”
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