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Melbourne trainer Darren Weir, who won a double at Caulfield on Saturday, has built a reputation of improving horses he gets from other stables.
But what about a former Darren Weir trained galloper going elsewhere?
Ballina trainer Daniel Bowen is hoping to do a Darren Weir with Centauraine who lines up at Lismore on Monday in the Oatens Casino Benchmark 65 Hcp (1516m).
The six-year-old mare was formerly trained by Weir but came to Bowen by way of an Inglis tried horse sale in Melbourne for a meagre $1000.
“I did my homework on her before buying her,” Bowen said. Bowen races the mare with Lismore businessman Steve Butcher.
Bowen is chasing his first win with the mare at Lismore who lines up for her fourth start with the new stable.
“Her three runs for me have all been pretty good,” Bowen suggested. “She ran well first up then got caught three wide throughout at the Gold Coast.
“Last start she struck traffic at the wrong time. Glenn Lynch said the favourite came out under his neck near the home turn and he never got out until late. If he did she either wins or runs second. It did show me she’s was up to open class horses.”
Centauraine is a backmarker which, due to the vagaries of racing, cane be telling.
“We’re probably going to have to ride her the same way at Lismore (go back early),” Bowen added. “She’s been unlucky in the three runs she’s had for me but she’s worked home nicely which is a good sign.
“She’s fit and well.”
Bowen admitted it took him and jockey-track rider Danny Peisley a while to get a handle on the daughter of Danzero.
“She’s a big, bold looking mare,” he said. “She’s a quite mare around the stables but she can pull and has a few tricks up her sleeve in trackwork.
“It took us a while to figure her out. Danny rides her in all her work and he’s worked her out. I don’t take her to the track every day. She does a lot of slow work outside of the track.
“She seems to be settling in well.
“Being a backmarker she’s going to need a bit of luck but if she gets it she’ll be right in the finish.”
