Group 1-winning Australian sprinter The Quarterback (Aus) (Street Boss) could be set for a date in Dubai's G1 Al Quoz Sprint in March, trainer Robbie Griffiths told Racing.com. The 6-year-old gelding opened his season with a win in the G2 Gilgai S. at Flemington Oct. 2 before finishing a respectable fourth in the G1 Manikato S. and sixth in the G1 Darley Classic. Griffiths said The Quarterback will resume in the G1 Lightning S. at Flemingon in February and then aim to defend his G1 Newmarket H. title before a possible trip to Dubai two weeks later. The Al Quoz Sprint will be run over 1200 metres for the first time this year, up from 1000 metres.
“You always get a bit scared with traveling horses in case they don't come back as good the next preparation but certainly the race in Dubai is very appealing being only two weeks after the Newmarket on a dry, straight track,” Griffiths told Racing.com. “This year is the first year the race will be run over 1200, which is even better for us, especially coming out of the Newmarket.
Griffiths noted The Quarterback is currently out for a spell and is doing dressage to address some issues from the Darley Classic.
“He'll be back in the stables next week,” the trainer said. “He's doing a bit of dressage and other exercise at the moment just to supple him up a bit because he was quite sore behind after the Darley Classic. He got smashed around in the race and three of his four legs had to be bandaged up and his right hind leg was especially quite sore and he also had a bit of soreness across his rump and sacroiliac joint as a result of being twisted around in the early part of the race. It adds a lot more credibility to the performance that he even looked a fleeting chance with 200 metres left to run when you consider how he pulled up.”
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