Training Report of Foreign Entry
The 40th Running of the February Stakes (G1)

February 16, 2023 (Thursday)

<At Tokyo Racecourse>

Weather: Fine
Going: Muddy (dirt course)

SHIRL’S SPEIGHT (USA, H6, bay)

- jogged 1/2 lap right-handed, cantered 1 lap left-handed, walked 1/2 lap right-handed (dirt course)
(exercised from 11:06 to 11:21 ridden by Allyson Hartfield)

<Press Conference>
Roger Attfield (Trainer)
 
Q: Upon seeing your horse for the first time since his departure from his home country, do you see any difference in him?
A: No, he’s settled in very well. He had a very long trip and surprisingly enough he’s eaten all the time—on the plane and ever since he’s been here—and has lost very little weight and he’s been training here very forwardly.

Q: Having seeing him work today, how would you assess his condition?
A: He’s in great condition and he’s happy here. I was a little concerned about the deeper sand going for him because he is basically a turf horse in America. But he seems to have handled it very well. We schooled him this morning just from the turf to the dirt track which he handled very well, he’s handled his gate work very well and I couldn’t be happier.

Q: For Shirl’s Speight to run in this race, you will bear the expenses to fly him here. What was the reason that led you to make this decision?
A: Actually, it was the owner of the horse’s idea to do this. He was quite adamant that he wanted to try him on the dirt here. I’ve always been a bit apprehensive about that because he’s only run twice on the dirt and they hadn’t been that great a race. I was a little concerned when my assistant told me how deep the dirt was out here. When he broke from the gate the other day, he ran a few furlongs and he seemed to handle it very well. I just have my fingers crossed.

Q: What do you think his aptitude is on the dirt track here?
A: I’ve worked him quite a few times on the dirt track at the training center that I always go to in Florida and that’s a reasonably deep dirt track, and he worked exceptionally well over it. He’s a very versatile horse but watching videos of him here and watching him this morning, he looks like he’s handling the track very well and if he can run to his true ability, he will be very competitive—but it is unknown to me.

Q: Are you planning on breezing him prior to the race?
A: No, we don’t have any plans of doing any strong work up to the race.

Q: What is the strong point of your horse?
A: He’s very level-headed, he has a good late kick in the race. If he’s handling the going as well as I hope he does, he’s a very competitive horse and he’s got a very strong late run—whether he can show that on the dirt, I don’t know.