Crocetti back on track for Telegraph

[Wandering Eyes]

Group One-winning sprinter Crocetti is back on track for a tilt at the Gr.1 TAB Telegraph (1200m) at Trentham in a fortnight following a setback earlier this month.

The five-year-old gelding, who last raced in the A$5 million The Quokka (1200m) in Perth in April, was making pleasing progress in his build-up over spring, winning his 1100m trial at Te Rapa in September before he was set to head to Pukekohe to tackle the Gr.3 Concorde Stakes (1200m) a fortnight ago.

However, the son of Zacinto’s temperature spiked earlier in the week, forcing trainers Danny Walker and Arron Tata to withdraw their charge from his intended first-up assignment.

Crocetti quickly recovered and his trainers shifted their sights to the Group and Listed trials at Matamata on Friday to help ready him for Trentham’s feature sprint.

In his 1100m heat, he jumped away well under jockey Warren Kennedy and settled in the coveted one-one position. At the 400m mark, Kennedy asked his charge to improve three-wide and he quickly loomed up alongside pacemaker Merchant Queen and Discretion Rules before bounding away to an effortless one length victory under a motionless Kennedy.

Owner-breeder Daniel Nakhle was rapt to see his pride and joy in full fettle and ready to tackle next month’s Telegraph.

“It is really good to have him back on track,” Nakhle said. “It has been nine months between races, so we are looking forward to Telegraph Day.

“He had a nice trial today, he had a little bit of a blow, which he needed.

“It was good to have that pipe opener and hopefully have him spot on for the third (of January).”

While Nakhle said Crocetti’s withdrawal from his intended first-up run in the Concorde was unfortunate, his gelding’s welfare will always come first, and he is now excited to be marching on towards a feature target.

“It was bad timing unfortunately, but that is racing and what is meant to happen is going to happen,” he said. “The main thing is that the horse is alright – you look after the horse and the horse will look after you.”

With Crocetti back on track, Nakhle is now hoping the weather can play its part over the coming weeks.

“Hopefully we don’t have too much rain between now and then,” he said.

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