Sometimes, racing is a lot more than winning and losing.
You only have to ask Roy McCabe. The Bathurst trainer has a bit-sized filly in his stable called Aunty Maree, and despite her stature, he will give her every chance to live up to her namesake.
“She is only a little thing, and when you look at her, you think, ‘Oh my gosh’ – she’s only just 15 hands and weighs 380kg, and she’s an absolute little foal, but with a heart the size of an elephant,” McCabe said.
A two-year-old by Smart Missile and out of Colestah, Aunty Maree was named after McCabe’s late aunty, and she will make her debut in the $40,000 Kings Hall Jewellers Silver Goblet (1100m) at Dubbo on Friday.
“My aunty, who was like a mother to me growing up, well, her name was Maree, and the filly was named after her,” McCabe said.
“My aunty was diagnosed with cancer three years ago, and we thought it would be good to get her a horse; she had never owned one, and we thought it might help her, or at least give her an interest, but unfortunately, she died three weeks after we bought her.
“She was only a small little person, so the horse fits my aunty, and it would be a good way to start off her career if she could win at Dubbo.”
Despite her size, Aunty Maree trialled nicely at Bathurst over 1000m on May 25.
Under the guidance of Anthony ‘Choc’ Cavallo, she began slowly but still had something to give as she cruised to a third-place finish, beaten only 1.69 lengths by the two-time winner, Scopics.
“The trial surprised us a bit,” McCabe said.
“Choc gave me good feedback and said she goes half okay.
“I know she is small and little, but she has a big stride on her for a little horse, and she’s got a little bit of length.”
Aunty Maree is well-bred, with her dam Colastah (Denman x Papoose) starting just once in town for a win for Les Bridge, while her grand dam Papoose was a three-time winner from 16 starts, and also produced three-time winner Penny Dreadful.
“We bought her as a weanling, and she has had four little preps, and we’ve taken our time with her,” McCabe said.
“She’s pretty well-bred, and we’ve been swimming her and educating her, and I think she’ll come back a lot better after this prep.”
In Friday’s Silver Goblet, Ashleigh Stanley will take the ride, connections have drawn gate four, and McCabe believes whatever she does, the $11 chance in the two-year-old feature will only improve as a three-year-old.
“I couldn’t say that I expect her to win, but I am hoping we get a bit of rain; she’ll handle the wet being so small,” McCabe said.
“Win, lose, or draw, she’ll definitely head to the paddock after this, and if she can improve on that trial, she’s definitely got a couple of wins in her.”
McCabe will travel from Bathurst to Dubbo with two chances on Friday before starting four at Gulgong’s non-TAB meeting on Sunday.
At Dubbo, Sistrum (Brodie Loy, $13) has drawn the car park in the Winter Country Classic colts, geldings, and entires Benchmark 58 Handicap qualifier (1300m).
“I thought, if he could draw (gate) three to six, he would be hard to beat, but I’m not going to write him off,” McCabe said.
“He got held up badly last start and only got out with 100m to go and managed to find a few lengths.
“Brodie will have to go back on him and hopefully slot in just worse than midfield, and if he does and gets a clean run, he’s a chance.”
The $40,000 Kings Hall Jewellers Silver Goblet (1100m) headlines the Dubbo program while adding to a stacked eight-race Showcase meeting, the Dubbo RSL Club Winter Country Classic Benchmark 58 Handicap qualifiers will attract plenty of betting interest.
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