3 minute read
Jockey Brenton Avdulla can see a nice future for promising import Wicklow but isn't prepared to get too carried away just yet as he chases a hat-trick at Rosehill on Saturday.
Bred to Northern Hemisphere time, Wicklow only turned three at the end of March so is six months behind others of his age and it's no surprise trainer Chris Waller has taken a conservative approach with the lightly raced horse.
Brenton Avdulla said Wicklow couldn't have done anything more than what he's done so far as he's shown a glimpse of his talent with his Australian debut Newcastle maiden win before he scored easily at Rosehill two weeks ago, with Avdulla in the saddle both times.
"He's still very immature and I'm sure whatever he's doing at the moment is a bonus for whatever he can develop into,'' Avdulla said.
"We're talking middle of winter, winter form at the moment, he still has to keep progressing but there's no reason why he can't.
"I like him, he showed good improvement from the Newcastle maiden to his Rosehill win the other day.
"It was a weak three-year-old race but all he can do is win but I thought he won well and it's not an overly strong race again so hopefully he can make it three in a row."
The gelding, arguably the most promising horse racing in Sydney this weekend, was $1.65 with TAB on Thursday to achieve that feat in the Sharp Extensive IT Handicap (1800m) where he'll have no more than five rivals.
Punter's Intelligence sectional data from Wicklow's second-up win highlights the merit in the performance as he produced easily the fastest last 600m (34.03) in the race and reeled in a leader that had things very cosy up front.
"He did a good job in the way he went about it,'' Avdulla said.
"It wasn't a hard run race and he should have freshness in his legs but with the track heavy it might be more testing than what it was the other day."
Avdulla again partners handy country galloper Anethole in the TAB Highway (1200m) after the gelding showed a return to form with a closing third behind Distillate two weeks ago.
While he said there are some obstacles for Anethole, $6.50 with TAB, this time around including an extra 1.5kg, he's convinced the horse is back near his best form.
"I thought he probably should have won the other day, if he was able to settle a pair closer and get a bit more luck in transit he probably wins,'' he said.
"He swaps an inside draw for an outside draw, not a bad track for a lot more rain affected track and goes from 1100m to 1200m.
"He has a few negatives but the horse is racing well and Cody (Morgan) has him going good."
The wet track and a wide barrier pose some problems for Avdulla on Berdibek in the Listed $150,000 XXXX McKell Cup (2000m) but the grey showed second-up with an unlucky sixth that he's nearing a peak performance.
The John O'Shea-trained gelding was stopped in his tracks when warming up in the straight as he finished sixth behind Mubariz over 1800m, beaten 2.5 lengths.
"He didn't get clear, we rode him quiet and rode him for luck and he didn't get any of it,'' he said.
"A heavy track is probably not to his liking, we're going to have to go back again and ride him for luck and if he gets it I'm sure he can run okay."
