Speaker 1Go to Natalie Young now, who joins us this morning on Racing HQ across the country. Morning, Natalie. Morning. This is a good race, this Caulfield Guineas, because we get the clash of Sydney v Melbourne. And Blind Raze, who you've got representing your stable, he looks to be very, very special. Can you tell our audience a little bit about him and what you're expecting for the weekend?
Speaker 2Yeah, well, look, he's had a couple of runs and he's, you know, won the McKinsey nicely and then went into the prelude and, look, he was under quite a bit of pressure, a way out, you know, like Wolfgat, Wolf to run around them and Blind Raze sort of just sat and waited and then he just sort of put them away. So, you know, to do that in a prelude, the group tour lead up, it always gives you a little bit of confidence going into the group one. You know, he's got to get up to the 1600 metre mark, which shouldn't be a problem on pedigree. But yeah, he's ticked over really nicely since that run. He's tightened up good and he got up really nicely at Cranbourne Track on Tuesday and Blake wrote him and, look, he rolled through the line, did some really nice sectionals and sort of pricked his ears past the post, looking for a little bit further. So, really happy with the way he's pulled up from that and just need a little bit of luck going into Saturday.
Speaker 1So, tell us about him and his journey. He's a gelding. He, what started off at Cranbourne, he's by ace height. Was he an expensive horse? Was these owners, are they, you know, some of the owners that you've had for years and years and years or is this a new ownership group?
Speaker 2No, the majority owner is sort of Andy Grant. We've got a few mates in from New Zealand, a few old owners, you know, like Paul McDonnell, Kevin Ransfield, just good old mates from New Zealand, Logan Fenwick and, you know, Martin Bradley. I mean, he used to be in Horses in New Zealand, like Six O'Clock News and stuff like that. So, just old friends from New Zealand, basically. And, you know, he showed he could gallop a little bit. And I said, this horse goes all right. He was a past in lot of the Oak Stud and we just really liked the look of him. And Trent really loved him. And we just thought, well, if you really love something, you've really just got to buy it and put your hand up. And yeah, so we did that and he got him over and he won his first two races as a two-year-old. He won the Anzac States and then we sort of took him up to Brisbane and it didn't really quite go according to plan. He didn't travel as well. And he'd probably just come into the end of his life. End of his campaign. And he actually just pulled up a little bit of mucus after that Brisbane race. So, we let him spell up there and brought him back down. And so far, this preparation, it's been trouble-free.
Speaker 1So, when you say he was passed in, did you get him quite, you know, as a.
Speaker 2I think he paid $70,000, yeah. Wow, okay. Yeah, so, yeah, I think. That's a bargain. He did a little bit of haggling. That's a bargain now. He did a little bit of haggling with Rick. Yeah, it sure is. You know, he's won half a million now, I think, just about. And he's, you know, he's running in a group once a day with three million. So, he's not going to get a stub deal, obviously, afterwards. But you've got to take on the strong cult of Buen Bakers, War Woven. And there's a little bit of banter between Trent and Buen because they're good mates. And, you know, he always brings his horses down here. So, he'll arrive in the stable tomorrow morning at 5 a.m. And, you know, and they'll be eyeballing each other through the stable, War Woven and Blind Ray.
Speaker 1It's quite nice that. Well, it's nice from a racing fan and a punter's point of view that he is a gilding. And I know that, obviously, if he was a cult, you'd be, you know, well, he'd be worth an incredible amount of money. But the way that you guys are going to get money out of this horse and have some, you know, amazing times is by racing him. So, you're going to have to continue to do that. So, if he does win, just crystal ball, if he wins this Caulfield Guineas, would you have any hesitation throwing. Throwing him right in the deep end in a Cox plate?
Speaker 2Definitely. That's definitely where we'd go. But he'd have to win. And, look, he's a racehorse. So, you know, they get in with low weight. So, you might as well have a crack. If he pulls up well and happens to get the Group 1 Guineas and beat the strong cults, then you'd definitely go that path and sort of carry on from there. But, look, he's only, you know, he's third up, you know. So, he's got plenty of racing still to go in this. It's a campaign. So, you'd definitely be a food for thought.
Speaker 1Do you have to, because it's so competitive to book riders, do you have to sort of make those tentative plans? Like, if he did win and go that way, have you got someone on standby?
Speaker 2Yeah, we've got a couple that are just, you know, we've been talking to. So, nothing completely confirmed yet. But it's, you know, basically, if he got onto something like a Cox plate, I think he's got, what, 50 kilos, Sam?
Speaker 1Yeah, is it 49 and a half? 49, he's got 49.
Speaker 2Yeah. So, basically, whoever can ride that weight, and you're a little bit limited for options there. So, yeah, we've got to, yeah, we'll think about that at the time. We'll get through Saturday first, obviously. But, yeah, it's a nice problem to have if we do happen to have it next week.
Speaker 1Yeah, I guess, too, if he, you know, even if he wasn't to win, let's say that him and Warwoven or something else, you know, they go to the line and it's just a beauty and the ratings people come out and say, hey, look, this is just, you know, off the chart time-wise, et cetera. You might still end up going that way anyway. The 2,000 metres clearly is no concern. Do you feel like he's just going to get better as he gets longer?
Speaker 2Well, he can take a sit and relax, and he can sort of be pushed forward. And, you know, it showed last start that he can really absorb pressure when it goes on. And, you know, just on pedigree, he should. If you go down his pedigree page, he's got sea change on there. I mean, she was probably a really good miler. But, yeah, you'd think he should. You know, Ace High won a derby, he beat us. And then, yes, he did. He beat Sully. And, yeah, so he'll definitely, he should get the trip on pedigree. And he's just got a really good turn of foot, and he relaxes nicely being a gelding. He doesn't over-race. So, you know, it's, yeah, definitely no qualms there at all that he'll step out and trip. But, you know, Saturday, it just seems like there's not really a lot of speed in the race. So that will be interesting. And I think Blake's going to just have to see if there is speed or not. I presume Woolwoven may go forward. Yeah. I can't really see much else really putting on a bit of speed. And that could be the problem if it's a really slowly run race and a sprint home. But we know our guy, he's, you know, he's a high cruiser. And we've got him the best we possibly can going into it. If not better, I think, going into the prelude. His coat's come through. And he's just, you know, he's bouncing around. He's bright. And he's just really come on from that run under his belt.
Speaker 1Magic. And then I guess maybe this time next year, there's a 1,500-meter race. At Royal Randwick, you might like to target worth an incredible amount of money.
Speaker 2Yeah. Well, you know, horses like this, with his sort of physique, they do get better, you know, the older they get sometimes. And he's sort of got that make-up physically. So, you know, he's not over anywhere near the finished article. He's probably still got a little bit of strengthening up through the shoulder. But he's not doing anything wrong at the moment. And he's a lovely, happy horse. And he's bright. And we've just got to make sure that we don't get stuck down on that rail. We've got barrier two, so we should be okay. But, look, Blake's – I've got all the faith in Blake. He's ridden them perfect the last couple. And he knows the horse. And he's sat on them and the gallop previously before each race. So, you know, it just gives him that little bit of confidence that he's got the horse and the motor underneath him.
Speaker 1Have you got anything we can, as punters, apart from blind race, be having a little bet on over the course of the coming days? I see that you've got – well, you've got a couple at – one today at Kyneton. You've got Kyneton. You've got Cranbourne tomorrow. And then, of course, what, Ballarat tomorrow as well. And then that one runner at Caulfield, blind race. What are we – are we having a bet on that?
Speaker 2I actually really quite like the Doctor of Love. He's in the Hamilton Cup Saturday. I think he's ready to do something. He's got meat on him. Yeah, I think he's ready to go a big race. And I really like immediacy in the Seymour Cup Sunday. He galloped with blind race on Tuesday over at the main track here at Cranbourne. And he galloped really good. He was a little unlucky at Flemington. He just got held up at the wrong spot and – but really sort of run through the line. So I think he can be a little smoky. So I really like those – yeah, those two for the weekend.
Speaker 1So we're playing a couple of cups here, Hamilton and Seymour. Hamilton and Seymour are cups.
Speaker 2Got to love winning a country cup.
Speaker 1A hundred percent. Hey, good to chat with you and good luck with this horse on Saturday. It's exciting. Very exciting. And we can't wait.
Speaker 2Great. Thank you.
Speaker 1Cheers, mate. There's Natalie Young.
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