AMANDA RANDO | @Amanda_Rando
IT is a big month for trot features in New South Wales and Victorian horseman Matthew Craven is hoping to make the most of it.
The 32-year-old from Terang has been based at the Menangle Park Training Centre for the past few weeks with a handful of horses.
A horse that was not with him originally when arriving in Sydney for this trip was his promising juvenile trotter Magicool.
The three-year-old gelding is unbeaten in his three starts this preparation and has only tasted defeat twice in his seven-start career, finishing second-placed on both of those occasions.
Already a Group 1 winner, the son of Tennotrump will face his next challenge at Tabcorp Park Menangle today in the HRNSW Trotters Foundation Heat.
And Craven will be using this race as a guide to see if the squaregaiter should stay north for other feature races.
“The main goal with him in is the New South Wales Derby coming up at the end of the month,” Craven said.
“I saw these Foundation Heats and Final and thought it would be a lead in to the Derby and it gives him the opportunity to have a good look at the track beforehand.”
The $20,000 Foundation Final for his age group will be held at Menangle next Saturday night while the $50,000 NSW Derby will be held on May 27.
Having done most of his racing at Tabcorp Park Melton, apart from his last start at Bendigo, Magicool will be having his first interstate start today.
He only began racing last November and has already pocketed $71,830 in stakes.
Yet despite this, Craven believes today’s race “won’t be easy”.
“He’s done a terrific little job so far but now he’s up to racing some of the better ones,” Craven said.
“I’m not sure how he will go, it won’t be easy but he should run well.”
Joining Magicool on this interstate trip are fellow trotters El Paco, Our Dreamlover (pictured) and pacer Desdon Murruffy, which all won at Menangle for Craven last Saturday week.
“Both El Paco and Our Dreamlover will be in at Menangle again on Saturday night and back to the mobile conditions they should be right in the race,” Craven said.
“I’ve nominated a few horses for the meeting so hopefully we go well.”
Thanks to Craven’s recent treble he is now just two wins shy of driving 400 wins.
He began training in 2010 and has obtained 244 winners.
As for the trot feature races coming up at Menangle this month, they kick off next Saturday:
May 13 –
$20,000 3YO Trotters Foundation Final (2300m MS)
May 20 –
$50,000 NSW Trotters Oaks (2400m MS)
$25,000 La Coocaracha (1609m MS mares)
$20,000 The Hammer Head (1609m open MS)
$20,000 2YO Trotters Foundation Final (1609m MS)
$11,000 Tabcorp Trotters Sprint (1609m MS)
May 27 –
$50,000 NSW Trotters Derby (2400m MS)
$30,000 Trots NSW 2YO Final (1609m MS)
$20,000 Trotters Marathon (3009m SS)
June 3 –
$30,000 Trots NSW 3YO Final (2300m MS)
June 25 –
$30,000 Trots NSW 4 & 5YO Final (1609m MS)
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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