Fresh is best for Fastfoot.
And that's the tactic Wingatui trainer Steve Tyler will use in November if the short-term plan goes well for the Coupland's Mile hopeful.
The son of Iffraaj has been in top form over the winter, winning a rating 85 1600m race at Ashburton last week to follow up a third and fifth during Grand National week. The 6yr-old downed Uppland and Madam Victoria at Ashburton, in the hands of Jake Lowry who has been aboard Fastfoot in two of the last three starts.
"It was a very good run at Ashburton and it was quite a handy field, too,'' Tyler said.
"The jockey rode him a treat and he's just thriving.''
The weights for the group 2 Coupland's Mile at Riccarton on November 11 will be released this morning. Fastfoot's rating of 85 places him in a good position to make the field. The lowest-rated horse in last year's Coupland's Mile was Pencuri, who was rated 77 at the time.
"That's what we're going to set him for and try and sneak him under the radar a wee bit,'' Tyler said.
"We'll just slip around here, get enough points and sneak in, hopefully, and have a horse that hasn't been bashed around much and is at the top of his game.''
Tyler feels Fastfoot needs to be jumping out of his skin to take on some smart milers.
"I plan to take him in quite fresh to the Coupland's Mile,'' he said.
Fastfoot is already relatively fit after a winter campaign, so Tyler will take him to a 1335m open handicap at Gore next Friday, and the South Otago Cup at Wingatui on September 26.
"If we get enough points out of those two runs, we'll freshen him and go straight to the Coupland's. ‘‘He has to be fresh as a button to match up . . . and he won't lose his fitness - I'll have him fit.''
Flagrante Delicto has been back in for six weeks after transferring from the Riverton stables of Tyler's brother, Kelvin.
He will aimed for a start on on Melbourne Cup day, as will first-starter Alitron - a 4yr-old Alamosa gelding who has trialled four times in the North Island including a second at the Avon-dale trials in June last year.
Tyler is pleased to have doubled his career tally to eight wins since arriving at Wingatui in late April.
"It's been going really good picking up four wins pretty quickly, but I'd like to have more numbers. It's a pretty tough game.
"There's plenty of room in the boxes anyway.''
