By Ray Hickson
Trainer John Sargent had no hesitation in snapping up champion jockey James McDonald for the ride on honest stayer Casual Connection at Kensington on Thursday, and that’s boosted his confidence the gelding is “bang on” to fire.
Trainer John Sargent (Pic: Bradley Photos).
The five-year-old will be fourth-up in the Armistice Handicap (2400m), a race he ran third in 12 months ago at the end of his preparation, having been ridden, and very well according to the trainer, by Sargent’s apprentice Molly Bourke in all three recent runs.
He put the writing on the wall last week when he was narrowly beaten by For Victory over 1900m at Canterbury and Sargent is expecting a strong showing.
“He’s just hitting his peak now, I thought it’s a nice race for him,’’ Sargent said.
“It’ll help having the pilot on board, if he’s free and rings for the ride you take them. He’ll roll over onto the speed from the draw and he loves the distance.
“He’s still on the way up, that’s why I ran him last week to top him off for this race.”
Casual Connection, $4.20 with TAB on Wednesday, has won four races from 24 starts and two of them have come over the 2400m distance.
The Randwick trainer said the back-up should be of no concern, adding he’s come through last week’s run particularly well.
“They seem to back up well when they get up to this distance, he’s match hardened now and the track should be nice with the jar out of it,” he said.
“We’ll look anywhere for a staying race, and let him go through his grades.”
Sargent said there’s a case to be made that Mountain Guest should have finished a lot closer in her third-up run on the same program at Canterbury and he’s taking advantage of a class drop and Molly Bourke’s 3kg claim to get her back on track in the Kokoda Trail Handicap (1550m).
The mare ran sixth behind Terrestar over 1550m and a look at the replay shows she was revved up by Tyler Schiller to make a move from near last on the fence but no gaps came when they were needed.
“I thought she was very unlucky at Canterbury, she couldn’t get a go on the inside,’’ Sargent said.
“It’s a nice race for her, she’ll be a couple back on the fence and will just need a bit of luck again.
“I was going to go up to 2000m but I thought this fillies and mares race doesn’t look overly strong, she’s dropping in grade and claiming three.”
The autumn hasn’t gone to Sargent’s hopes with Harlow Mist but he’s hoping to reboot the campaign in the Anzac Day Cup (1800m).
The filly, placed in the Wakeful in the spring, was on an Oaks path but failed in the Kembla Grange Classic and Adrian Knox so Sargent didn’t press on to the Group 1 and she runs at Kensington in preference to last weekend’s Frank Packer Plate.
It’s a simple equation for Harlow Mist – perform and she’ll head toward the Queensland Oaks, don’t perform and the paddock beckons.
“I scratched her on Saturday because of the track and I want to see if she’s back online,’’ he said.
Casual Connection runs second at Canterbury on April 17
“I’ve added blinkers and she’s got a good draw. A few of the Contributers have blinkers and we’re seeing if that’s going to help, it’s something up the sleeve.
“Her last two runs have been average, she seems fine in herself and we’ll see what happens.
“If she goes well she’ll go to Brisbane but if she doesn’t she’ll go out.”
