A long trip to the races doesn’t deter Hungerford-based trainer James Hatch, and in the grand scheme of things, when he makes the five-plus hour drive to Carinda for their race meeting on Saturday, it won’t be a long trip in his books.
Known best for his Country Championships exploits with Stoneyrise – the little bush horse with a big heart – Hatch will be looking to win the Carinda Cup (1400m) with his in-form galloper, Lenroy.
The seven-year-old has been racing in career-best form, and at his four most recent starts at Cunnamulla, he’s landed a win and three seconds.
Two starts back, he was a class above his rivals, winning the 1200m Benchmark 55 Handicap, and last start, racing over 1400m for the first time, he finished a good second in another Benchmark 55 Handicap.
The 2023 Carinda Cup is a solid little seven-horse field, with in-form Country Cup campaigner and 2022 Carinda Cup winner Plectrum (Chelsea Ings, gate 2) expected to be one of the favourites, while recent Talmoi Cup winner Ringside (Ronald Simpson, gate 5) will take some running down.
Hatch conceded that the event was a step up in class for Lenroy, but he was interested in seeing how the Dream Ahead gelding went in the $14,000 feature.
“It can be a bit hard to line the form up from Cunnamulla to this type of race, and there is only one way to find out,” Hatch said.
“This fella, he’s probably a couple of classes under them, and he’s rising eight, but he is going as good as he has ever gone, so he deserves a chance.”
Hatch isn’t wrong, with Lenroy racing in a rich vein of form, and he put it down to the gelding maturing.
“When I purchased him as a yearling at Dubbo, Cindy Monaghan said he would need a bit of time, but she didn’t say he would need until he was rising eight,” Hatch laughed.
“He was a good-sized yearling, but it was the case of where we are, and he is not on track all the time, so it took a few starts for him to work what it’s all about.”
Lenroy has been a ‘bit of a bridesmaid’ throughout his career, starting 27 times while registering four wins, 11 second-placings, and five third-placings.
He’s a speedy time, and Ken Dunbar takes the ride from gate seven.
“He’s probably best to be a couple of pairs back, but I’ll leave it up to Kenny and see where he lops after the first couple of hundred,” Hatch said.
The stable also has the lightly-raced In Peace taking on the 1400m Maiden Plate.
In two starts to date, the four-year-old has twice finished second at Cunnamulla, racing over 1200m on debut before stepping back to 1000m last start.
Hatch believes the seven furlongs will suit his All Too Hard gelding in the small field of four.
“I’ve only had him a couple of starts – Stirling Osland sent him out to me,” Hatch said.
“He goes all right, and he was unlucky not to win first-up, and the other day, I stepped him back to 1000m, and it’s not his go, and the extra distance will suit him, but it might be a bit harder.”
The Carinda meeting looks like an excellent six-race card, with racing commencing at 1.15 pm.
The club will host fashions, entertainment, and a good day’s country racing.
For more on the program, click here.
For Carinda fields, click here.
