LUCK has deserted Hawkesbury trainer Terry Croft at a couple of feature country meetings in recent weeks.
But he’s hoping a return to home digs will bring a change of fortune on Saturday.
Croft made his annual pilgrimmage to the Forbes Cup meeting in early August with four runners and was placed with three of them (Hot Jive, Just A Brother and Royale Veloute), and the latter pair in particular were unlucky.
Then he was all set for the Narromine Cup meeting a few weeks later with the same trio (including Just A Brother in the Cup) when the program was called off a late stage on race morning.
Undaunted, Croft lines up Royale Veloute (The Royal Hotel Richmond Hotel F&M Class 1 Handicap, 1300m) and Just A Brother (Lander Toyota Midway Benchmark 68 Handicap, 1400m) at home, chasing a season breakthrough.
He has called on Scone apprentices Braith Nock and Mitch Stapleford to boost the duo’s prospects.
Nock’s 3kg claim lessens Royale Veloute’s weight to 55kg (0.5kg below the limit), and similarly, Stapleford’s 3kg claim offsets Just A Brother’s 59.5kg.
Clayton Gallagher rode both horses at Forbes, and Croft was in no doubt he should have returned home with a couple of winners had better luck gone his way.
“Royale Veloute was three wide throughout, and the winner (Big Shot Legend) got through near the inside close to the line to just edge her out,” he said.
“I did try to get Alysha Collett, who won a Provincial Maiden (1300m) first-up on the mare at Hawkesbury in late July, but she had already been booked for another runner (Skiesthelimit, which has been scratched).
“Braith (Nock) has had a few rides for me and won on Gallic Fox at Newcastle in June and finished second on Lady Gold at Wyong last Sunday.
“Royal Veloute is in good order and has drawn well.
“Just A Brother (who won the Parkes Cup in May) was terribly unlucky not to have won the Forbes Cup.
“From a wide alley he got back to last on settling down, and gave away a huge start.
“Just A Brother flew home once he got into the clear in the straight and would have won in a few more strides.
“The winner Osman confirmed the form by winning again over 1615m at Doomben a fortnight ago.
“Just A Brother is coming back in distance to 1400m, but carries 1.5kg less than he did at Forbes and will be strong at the finish.”
Just A Brother has been a terrific horse for Croft’s stable; the seven-year-old gelding having won six races and been placed 11 times, with earnings of nearly $224,000.
Fellow Hawkesbury trainer, multiple Group 1 winner Garry Frazer, also is chasing a new season breakthrough at his home track on Saturday.
Frazer starts Crazy Mikki in the Wasteflex Provincial Maiden Plate (1000m).
Andrew Adkins will ride the four-year-old mare, who nearly caused an upset on debut as the $10 outsider in a three-horse Scone Maiden Plate (900m) on a heavy track on August 19.
“I thought she was going to win at the 200m before finishing second,” Frazer said.
“Crazy Mikki is well named. She hasn’t been the easiest horse to train.
“But she has speed, and has drawn the inside barrier tomorrow.”
Frazer does not have a big team of horses, and also trains greyhounds, and says he has been having more luck with them than the thoroughbreds.
His last winner at the gallops was Tocomah (Kerrin McEvoy) at Wyong on April 27 last year, a month after he also scored with Rita May, ridden by the same jockey, at Warwick Farm.
Frazer went winless last season from not many runners, and has had two placings from only five starters so far this season.
Prior to Crazy Mikki at Hawkesbury, Frazer has her older half-sister Our Lady Stardust (Zac Wadick) contesting the closer, a Class 1 Handicap (1100m), at Friday’s Wyong Gold Cup meeting.
. The eight-race program begins at 12.45pm, and the rail is in the TRUE position. Course manager Kyle Cassim at 8am Friday posted a “Good 4” rating, with a penetrometer reading of 5. No rain has been recorded in the past seven days, and 13mm of irrigation has been put on the track in that period.
Story John Curtis, September 6, 2024
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