Tassie targets only for unbeaten Aristopolos

Unbeaten Tasmanian two-year-old Aristopolos will remain on the island throughout his three-year-old campaign, with trainer John Blacker set to resist the temptation to bring to promising colt to the mainland.

Aristopolos, a son of St Mark’s Basilica, has banked nearly $360,000 in prize money across his two-year-old season with six consecutive wins, including a pair of Listed victories.

The ownership group has resisted several bids from Hong Kong owners to keep him with Blacker, who confirmed this week that Tasmania’s three-year-old riches were his main target in the upcoming season.

Aristopolos is currently in the paddock, and while he will come back for a quick training prep in June, he won’t be back in full work until August.

He will be targeted at the 3YO Cup, a $125,000 race in November, before being piloted towards the Tasmanian Summer Carnival, which features a host of races for three-year-olds as well as against the older horses.

“There’s a lot of money to be won,’ Blacker told the Two Devils podcast. “He doesn’t have to go away to win money. He can win it on his home ground.

“The ones that’s finished behind him so far at the moment, no disrespect to them either, but he has their measure.”