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Hawkesbury trainer Daniel Robinson knows it’s a real longshot!
He also knows a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, which is why he is planning to go ahead and run his promising four-year-old Karmazone in a Class 2 Handicap (1600m) at Kembla Grange tomorrow.
But he hasn't given up hope that the gelding will get a start in the $400,000 Polytrack Provincial Championships Final (1400m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
With fellow Hawkesbury co-trainers Jason Attard and Lucy Keegan-Attard disappointingly having to withdraw Munich – who qualified when third in his $150,000 home qualifier on March 7 – from the Final because of a leg injury, Karmazone will be second emergency for Saturday's race.
"It's pretty unlikely Karmazone is going to get a start, but provided he runs as well as I expect he will at Kembla Grange tomorrow, I intend accepting with him on Wednesday morning for the Final," Robinson said this evening.
"I have to do that as a precaution.
"I would be very upset if we didn't accept, and Karmazone pulled up well after Kembla and would have been able to back up on Saturday in the unlikely event he got into the field."
Karmazone has won two of his only five starts, and his trainer shouldn't be in the current position he is, clinging to hope of snaring a Final berth with him.
The gelding was very unlucky not to have won his home track qualifier when he struck traffic problems in the straight before finishing fourth to Moana Jewel.
Karmazone then again ran well when fifth to Electric Girl in the Kembla Grange qualifier a fortnight later.
"The 1600m tomorrow should suit Karmazone," Robinson said. "We'll get through that first and then see what happens in regard to Saturday."
Robinson and his wife Alexandra purchased the son of Eurozone for $27,000 at the 2017 Magic Millions yearling sale in Adelaide, intending to get him up and running to sell as an early two-year-old at the Inglis Ready2Race sale in Sydney later that year.
But they took a shine to him and decided to race him themselves. Karmazone has already repaid his purchase price, earning $38,380 so far from his five starts.
. Joseph Khalifeh became the 25th Hawkesbury trainer to be successful this season when Tribuna scored at Queanbeyan today.
Superbly ridden by Richard Bensley, who saved valuable ground near the inside, Tribuna ($8) ran home strongly to defeat $6.50 chances Kareno and Running Brooke in the Benchmark 50 Handicap (1460m).
Fellow Hawkesbury representative, Brooke Somers' $5 favorite C'est La Vie, set a strong pace before being overhauled in the closing stages and finishing fourth.
Khalifeh no doubt wishes Queanbeyan meetings came around more often.
His six-year-old Zoffany mare's three victories have all been at that track and, interestingly, they have been second-up after a break.
