Mike Breslin couldn’t be any happier with Crouch ahead of Sunday’s Listed Sandown Cup (3200m), with his only concern being his 60-kilogram impost.
The six-year-old gelding finished eighth in his Australian debut in the Listed Andrew Ramsden (2800m) at Flemington a fortnight ago, and Breslin said he has thrived after being given more time to settle in.
“I think he has improved since his first run, he didn’t travel that great when he came over, he has had that run and has just kept improving,” Breslin said.
Breslin arrived in Melbourne on Thursday morning and welcomed the drops of rain on his windshield as he drove out to meet Crouch at Pakenham.
“It is raining here in Melbourne, the track is a Heavy9 at the moment, so it’s not going to get too firm for him, even if the rain goes away,” he said.
Breslin said everything is working out well for his gelding in the lead-up to Sunday, with the exception of his allotted weight.
“I was buoyed by the fact that Harry Coffey was keen to ride him again,” Breslin said. “Everything is going according to plan - he is going to get a track he likes, he runs two miles - it’s just the impost of the 60 kilos, which is an impost over two miles.
“He is a strong horse, and he has won carrying weight before, but there are a whole lot of light weights in the race.”
One interesting fact the Palmerston North trainer did note was Crouch’s rating increased upon arriving in Australia prior to his first run.
“The handicapper increased his rating,” Breslin said. “He went from 93 in New Zealand to 97 in Australia before his first run, which I found a bit perplexing. Now they have dropped him back three.
“I did a bit of homework on the last couple of years’ fields, and he would have got 56.5kg or 57.5kg, depending on what year it was, but it is just the way it is.
“If we had a couple of kilos less, I am confident he would go really close.”
Back in New Zealand, Breslin will line-up a quartet of runners at his home synthetic meeting at Awapuni, three of whom will have their first start on the surface.
Seven-year-old gelding Showbastian Coe is a seasoned professional on the polytrack, winning four and placing in five of his 11 starts on the surface, and Breslin is confident of another bold showing in the Rowden Electrical Services LTD Sprint (1000m).
“Showbastian Coe is a machine on the poly, he has won four races on it,” Breslin said. “He won with 59 (kg) last season, so he is going to carry the same weight again. I gave him a pipe opener just to get him fit for the poly season, and he will run well, he always does on the poly.”
In form stablemate Kosta has placed in his last two starts but will be tested on Awapuni’s synthetic track for the first time on raceday this weekend in The Pavemasters Ashhurst-Pohangina Cup (1400m).
“He is a talented horse,” Breslin said. “There are a couple of nice horses in that race. It will be interesting to see how he goes on the poly.
“I was keen to have Jonathan Riddell on him because he still wants to do things a bit wrong and Jonathan is a good, strong rider, so I think he will so the horse.
“Awapuni horses have a slight advantage because they work on the track, but you still don’t know until they actually race on it. He handles is alright (in training).
“He is a bit wayward still so the tight corners might be a bit of an issue, but I think he will cope with the actual surface alright.”
Stablemates Popinjay and Afterthought will also make their polytrack debuts in the Murray Free Contracting 1400 and Manawatu Mini Spreaders 1700 respectively.
“Popinjay is fresh-up,” Breslin said. “He is still quite a green horse. I am not sure whether the poly will be a question mark for him, but he is a big striding green horse still, so we are just using this to kick-off his campaign.
“I think if Afterthought can get a bit softer time in the first half of the race, he could cope with the poly quite well.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
