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Sargent Thinking Rejuvenated Gelding's Found His Niche

By Ray Hickson

Trainer John Sargent says there’ll be no need to rush last year’s Australian Derby placegetter Glad You Think So back up in distance if he can notch back-to-back wins at Randwick on Saturday.

Trainer John Sargent (Pic: Bradley Photos).

In three runs back at 1400m and 1600m the gelding has proven quite effective and a repeat in the Drinkwise Mile (1600m) might suggest to Sargent he’s found his niche distance wise.

Glad You Think So produced a big finish to score in Midway company under 59kg two weeks ago in testing ground and has picked up James McDonald for his bid for successive wins.

“If he can win again at a mile you’d stay there. There’s no reason you wouldn’t,’’ Sargent said.

“It’s a good field but hopefully he can get some confidence for that win. If there’s some speed on and he can make a sustained staying run it’ll suit him.

“He does enjoy the cut out of the track so that would suit him too.”

It took the now five-year-old until the last weekend of his four-year-old season to produce his first win since the spring of 2023.

While he did run third behind Riff Rocket and Ceolwulf in the Australian Derby the following autumn he lost his way, as some horses can when they hit open company, and Sargent can’t put his finger on why.

“I don’t know, he was growing a lot and he’s one of these typical So You Thinks and it might have been that,’’ he said.

“Now he’s furnished he looks great and hopefully he can get back to where he was.

“That last start was what he used to be like, we had an off season with him and hopefully he’s back to how he was when he ran third in the Derby.

“I’m hoping he can carry on with this and move on through the grades.”

At this stage Sargent isn’t getting carried away with plans for Glad You Think So, $4.40 with TAB on Thursday, but needs to see him back up that breakthrough first.

A race like the $2 million Five Diamonds (1800m) could come onto the radar.

“We’ll have a look at the carnival after the next couple of runs, when I can see where he’s at and whether he can go through to open class races,’’ he said.

“He’ll tell us what class we can get him up to.”

A wet track won’t harm the chances of three-year-old filly Change My Address who resumes from a two month break in the Midway Handicap (1100m).

She made a winning debut on a heavy 10 back in May before disappointing at Randwick and Sargent says on the back of a pleasing trial it wouldn’t surprise him to see her competitive against the older horses.

“She has a good draw, light weight and wet track so hopefully we can see her back to her best,’’ he said.

“I think they can do well in Midways, I’ve won them before with horses low down in the weights and it’s just a good race for her to kick off.”

A decision will need to be made on whether Vetwelve takes his place in the Chandon Handicap (1400m) with a wet track a drawback in Sargent’s mind.


Glad You Think So wins at Randwick on July 26

The gelding has won two of his past three starts the latest an easy Kembla Grange victory two weeks ago.

“It’s a small but strong field and he’ll run as long as it’s not really heavy. He’s in form but this is a big step up from where he won,’’ he said.

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

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