Victorian trainer Matt Laurie won’t test promising galloper Hiyaam Proud in Saturday’s Queensland Derby but the three-year-old’s Brisbane campaign is far from over.
Hiyaam Proud won on debut at Geelong last month before remaining unbeaten with a game effort over 1800m at Eagle Farm at his second start.
That win prompted bookmakers to have Hiyaam Proud as short as $11 in early Queensland Derby betting but his price blew out to $51 after he finished fifth at Ipswich on May 22.
Laurie said the Ipswich defeat prompted him to scrap Derby plans for the well-bred gelding, who is out of Group 1 Vinery Stakes winner, Hiyaam.
“We’re going to freshen him up now,” he said.
“There’s two three-year-old mile races up there (Brisbane) that he can have a crack at before a little break. He’s had three starts and he’s still got a lot to learn. I think he’s a really late developer and we were setting some pretty big ambitions in a short space of time.”
Hiyaam Proud won his for two starts at Geelong and Eagle Farm for Mornington trainer Matt Laurie. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images.
“He’s a slow maturer and we felt it would be a worthwhile exercise for him.”
Laurie said he still expected the son of Pride Of Dubai to mature into a decent galloper as a four-year-old.
He added he thought Hiyaam Proud could emerge as a talented performer over 2000m and further as he added size and strength to his immature frame.
“He’s just a lovely horse but he hasn’t got a really big turn of foot but I think he’s just going to develop into a tough rolling sort of horse over a bit of ground,” Laurie said.
“Those horses just need to strengthen and mature to get to that point.”
The Peter Moody-trained filly Autumn Angel is the $2.80 favourite in TAB’s early Queensland Derby market ahead of Tannhauser at $4.50.
Victorian gelding Warmonger is the $6 third favourite.