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By Ray Hickson

We’ve come to expect William Haggas to get it right when he brings a horse to Sydney and the trainer is pinning his hopes on a barrier trial being the key to Bullet Point taking home the $2 million Five Diamonds (1800m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

Trainer William Haggas (Pic: Edward Whitaker)

Haggas has been travelling horses to Sydney since 2020 and if Bullet Point can win it’ll be his 12th feature race success in a haul that includes six Group 1s and a Golden Eagle.

It’s unusual for Haggas to use a Sydney barrier trial when preparing a horse for a target race but he said the hitout at Warwick Farm last week became necessary to ensure the gelding’s fitness is where he wants it.

“We had a bit of a blip in quarantine in England and we had a few quiet days,’’ Haggas said.

“Usually we try and do all the work in England and not do much here. When we got here we thought we’d give him a trial if it fitted in.

“He didn’t trial very well but there’s no prizemoney in trials. He had a look and he had a blow and I think it’s done him good.”

Bullet Point, $6 with TAB on Thursday, will be partnered by Golden Eagle winning jockey Cieren Fallon in the Five Diamonds and the hoop has had the opportunity to get a feel for the gelding out at Canterbury.

There is an Australian link in the ownership which is part of the reason the horse was selected to travel.

“He’s a tough, genuine horse, and I think the trip will suit him well though it's not a trip I've been used to here. The five-year-olds only is an attractive option,’’ he said.

“He won’t mind being on the speed, he’s got to jump obviously and he didn’t jump in the trial but he will be sharper for that.

“A third of him is owned by Rick Smith who lives in Melbourne and I always wanted to bring a horse of Rick’s over here.”

Haggas, who will be at Rosehill on Saturday, said he takes the blame for Bullet Point’s last start failure in a Group 3 at York in August.

He’d won four of his previous six starts, including an open handicap under 62.5kg at the York carnival but he didn’t handle the two day back up.

“The only time he blobbed is when the trainer got greedy which is what usually happens,’’ he said.

“He put in a sterling performance with 62.5kg in a handicap at York on the Thursday in August and I ran him back in a Group race on the Saturday and he just ran a bit flat so that was my mistake.

“But we’re all smart after the event.”

Meanwhile, a decision will be made soon on whether this year's Tancred Stakes winner Dubai Honour makes another trip to Sydney next autumn.

The eight-year-old has had three starts since he chased Via Sistina home in this year’s Queen Elizabeth for a fourth in the Champions & Chater Cup in Hong Kong, a Group 1 second in Germany and two weeks ago was narrowly beaten in a Group 2 in France.

Bullet Point's Warwick Farm trial

“We toyed with the idea of going to Germany this weekend but decided against it and he was invited to the Japan Cup but we’re not going there,’’ Haggas said.

“Either he’ll go to Hong Kong (in December) or have a race in England and come down here in the autumn.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s meeting at Rosehill