Summer horse qualifies for Swettenham Stud Final

Decircles qualified for the Swettenham Stud Summer Championship Final in a fortnight with a front-running victory in the Leonard Hcp (1410m) at Flemington on Saturday.

“That’s his profile, trainer Danny O’Brien said.  “He’s a summer sort of horse.”

Decircles (5g Encosta De Lago – Lady Circles by Ascot Knight) reserves his best for Flemington and he was rated perfectly in front by visiting Irish apprentice Oisin Murphy.  He earned 10 points in Heat 9 – the penultimate leg of the Swettenham Championship – from Mandla (8) and Finishing Card (7).

Fourth placed Infinite Energy earned 6 points and that may be enough to book his berth in the Final after collecting 4 points in Heat 5.

Apart from a Seymour maiden win, Decircles’ victories have all been at headquarters and he’s also run black-type placings there in the G2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes, G3 C S Hayes Stakes, G3 Standish Hcp and LR Kensington Stakes.

A $275,000 buy for O’Brien at the 2010 Inglis Easter yearling sale, he is out of a half-sister to Elvstroem and Haradasun and carries the same colours as those Group 1 gallopers.

The LR John Dillon Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield this Saturday, January 25, is the 10th and last Heat of the Swettenham Series.