Racing.com visited the Cranbourne stables of renowned trainer Grahame Begg this week to get the lowdown on several of his spring hopefuls.

KING ZEPHYR

Begg says: “We can go one or two ways with him, there’s certainly plenty of options with him. We’ve got to be a little bit mindful with him that he’s had one run on a rain affected track and it was a deteriorating track on that day, and he failed at Flemington.

“That’s going to come into the equation a little bit but he’s going very, very well and I’m excited to get him back to the races. He’s got a lot of upside, he’s a dam good racehorse and I feel that he’s prepped up beautifully for his upcoming spring targets.”

Targets:

September 6 Listed Chautauqua Stakes, Moonee Valley, 1200m (possible)

September 20 G1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, Caulfield, 1400m (possible)

 

MAGIC TIME

Begg says: “She’ll kick in the Cockram on the 30th, she’s going to run in the mares race. I was thinking if we wanted to run her in the Rupert Clarke, she needed to have a run over 1200m prior to going to that race and this is the only opportunity that she’s got really at running at 1200m and having a three-week buffer between her first up start to running in a race like the Rupert Clake.

“There’s also certainly targets in New South Wales for her as well because they’re getting the ‘Big Wet’ at the moment and she does grow a leg in the soft ground.”

Targets:

August 30 G3 Cockram Stakes, Caulfield, 1200m

September 20 G1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, Caulfield, 1400m

October 25 G2 The Invitation, Randwick, 1400m

 

NIANCE

Begg says: “After her win in the spring, we put her out with the view of coming back to get her ready to run in the Oakleigh Plate and unfortunately, she cracked her skull. We don’t know how she did it, she had to have surgery to remove some bone out the top of her skull and that was all successful.

“She’s in great order, we’re very excited about her prospects for the spring.”

Targets:

August 30 G3 Heath 1100 Stakes, Caulfield 1100m

OR

September 6 G1 Moir Stakes, Moonee Valley, 1000m

 

WATCH: Hear Begg’s thoughts

 

ROYAL INSIGNIA

Begg says: “We’re going to keep him back to the shorter distance races. We ran him in the mile race at Flemington, the Guineas, he drew the wide gate, he went back to near last, and it was just an impossible position to make up the ground and get home. He’s another one that doesn’t like wet ground.

“He’s prepped up very, very well, he’s grown into a very imposing style of horse and I’m sure this horse has got a good race in him.”

Targets:

August 16 Listed Regal Roller Stakes, Caulfield, 1200m

September 13 G2 Bobbie Lewis Quality, Flemington, 1200m

 

BIOLOGICS

Begg says: “She’s built like a sprinter, she goes like a sprinter, I just think she might be a bit sharp for a Thousand Guineas. She’s coming along beautifully; she did race late as a two-year-old and then she had a bit of a mini break and she’s prepped up well.”

Targets:

September 6 Listed Atlantic Jewel Stakes, Moonee Valley, 1200m

 

RUSKA ROMA

Begg says: “We’re very excited about her. She is a filly we feel will run a mile, she could be the Thousand Guineas filly.”

Targets:

August 31, Maiden, Seymour

October 18 G1 Thousand Guineas, Caulfield, 1600m (possible long-term goal)