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Austin Considers Championships Carrot For In-Form Terra Mater

3 minute read

Trainer Jarrod Austin knows he’ll be faced with what he calls a “good problem" if progressive mare Terra Mater can notch a hat-trick this preparation at Randwick on Saturday.

Trainer : JARROD M AUSTIN.
Trainer : JARROD M AUSTIN. Picture: Martin King / Sportpix

Trainer Jarrod Austin knows he'll be faced with what he calls a "good problem" if progressive mare Terra Mater can notch a hat-trick this preparation at Randwick on Saturday.

The lure of the rich Provincial Midway Championships series is there and with a $1 million Final this year it's a temptation for Austin, and the mare's owners, to consider whether they should look down that road.

Any planning would be trickier if Terra Mater records her fifth win in the Bisley Workwear Handicap (1300m) as to remain eligible she can only win five races before contesting one of the qualifying races which don't start until the end of February.

"The prizemoney is so good in Sydney, we're just happy to let her go through her grades as she's doing and see where that ends up,'' Austin said.

"We've had a few chats about the Championships, it's a real carrot. It's a good problem to have."

Even talking about contesting $1 million races would be exciting for connections of the mare who was purchased for just $1750 as a weanling.

Austin said he can see why she was so cheap, at least she's cheap in hindsight having won just under $200,000 from her 10 starts, when part-owner Garry Carden snapped her up.

"She was a tiny little thing when we bought her but she was nicely put together,'' Austin said.

"There's a fair bit of luck involved but she's always shown a bit and continued to develop so we've been lucky.

"She was behind the eight ball for most of the time but when she came back in this time she'd furnished 25-30kg heavier and that's showing in her strength at the end of her races."

It's been a month since Terra Mater's impressive Midway win over 1200m, where that late strength was on show, and Austin said that's largely by design after just two weeks separated her first and second-up wins.

"I was intending to give her an extra week break and I thought the races that fell last week weren't quite as attractive as this week so we were happy to wait,'' he said.

"I know it was a Midway field she beat last time but I thought it was quite convincing the way she did it and it looks like we've found a suitable race."

Nash Rawiller again rides the four-year-old, $2.15 with TAB on Wednesday, and Austin said it's comforting to know she's a horse that doesn't have one set racing pattern.

That's been evident in her recent wins, she sat outside the lead first-up at Canterbury before settling near the rear and running over the top at Randwick. So he says there's no reason to fear a slightly tricky barrier.

"She's very adaptable and very competitive, she wants to win,'' he said.

"She'll do whatever the rider wants her to do, she's happy to go back or forward and it doesn't worry her, so it's a great attribute to have."

Stablemate London was another online purchase and Austin said he's clearly come back a better horse in his second preparation for the stable.

The gelding was a $600,000 buy as a yearling but was sold online for $100,000 and has so far won back almost half of that outlay.

After a close third behind Storm The Ramparts at Warwick Farm two weeks ago, he drops slightly in grade into the Midway Handicap (1100m) – a race Austin sees no reason why he can't be competitive in again.

"He's stepped up this preparation, he was a big raw baby his last prep so we're pleased to see him put it together,'' he said.

"He's been racing consistently and he's only got to do that again and he'll run a race on Saturday."


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