Tollesprit fires first-up

SHANE Fliedner’s plans to give stable star Tollesprit a light autumn campaign won’t change despite the gelding’s impressive first-up win at Flemington on Saturday. Fliedner only wants to give the son of Bel Esprit three starts this campaign before giving him a good spell in the lead-up to the spring carnival.The three-year-old easily accounted for the older horses in Saturday’s $75,000 Schweppes Handicap (1200m).Jockey Craig Williams settled Tollesprit ($4) near the rear of the field, but when he found clear galloping room the gelding sprinted clear to beat favourite Captain Coltish ($2.25) by 1¹/₄ lengths.A three-year-old race at Moonee Valley in a fortnight will be Tollesprit’s next start.His third and final run this campaign will be on March 6 at Flemington.The only question for Fliedner is whether he runs Tollesprit in the $1million Newmarket Handicap against the likes of All Silent and Nicconi or keep him against his own age in the Listed $125,000 1100m event.“I’ll run him in a three-year-old race at Moonee Valley in two weeks and if he happens to win there, well we might look at the Newmarket Handicap, but that would be it,” he said.“I don’t like to wrap him up too much. He’s a fantastic horse, but when they have the niggly sorts of problems he’s had, well, you just hold your breath.”Fliedner’s other classy three-year-old, Fomalite, will resume at Caulfield this Saturday.The filly is being set for the Kewney Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on March 6.Fomalite mixed it with the best three-year-old fillies last campaign and was placed at Group Two level in the Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m).