Thurlow set for first Matamata sortie

[Wandering Eyes]

In more than three decades’ training Bill Thurlow has yet to race a horse at Matamata, but that’s about to change with two stable members entered for the eastern Waikato venue’s biggest ever race meeting on Saturday.

The Waverley horseman, who since the start of the season has been training in partnership with former heavyweight jockey Sam O’Malley, is scheduled to head north with stable members Frank The Tank (NZ) (Burgundy) and Wire Rope (NZ) (Darci Brahma).

Both are entered for the $350,000 Comag Wairere Falls Classic (1500m), while Wire Rope has a contingency nomination for the Rating 75 1600m on the undercard.

This will be the second year the Wairere Falls Classic has been contested at Matamata and the first time on the same programme as the two-year-old double-header of the Gr.2 J Swap Contractors Matamata Breeders’ Stakes and Gr.3 Fairview Matamata Slipper.

That also means the for the first time total stakes at the Matamata Racing Club’s marquee raceday will exceed $1 million.

Off his rating of 79, Frank The Tank will safely make the 14-horse cut for the Wairere Falls Classic, however with two less rating points Wire Rope is just outside the limit.

“I’d love them both to get a start, but we might need a bit of luck with Wire Rope,” Thurlow said. “It’s not often you get the chance to race for this sort of money with mid-grade horses, so we’ll have to keep our fingers crossed there.

“The forecast for a bit of rain later in the week should play into their hands, as they both like a bit of cut in the ground.

“Frank The Tank had some issues with his feet in the spring and that held him up, and he needed the run when he finished fifth at Waverley last week.

“He was a bit burly for that but his work since has been good, so I figure he’s about where he needs to be.

“Wire Rope has been racing very well (for two wins and second from his last three starts), so it would be good to see him get his chance.

“The other race is still worth a crack, so I’m looking forward to heading up there. From memory I took a jumper up to Matamata years ago but I think they ended up calling the races off, so this will be my first try there.”

Meanwhile, Thurlow reports that stable star Whangaehu (NZ) (Proisir) has made all the right moves since finishing third at Ellerslie 10 days ago and is on target for the Gr.3 Avondale Cup (2400m) on Saturday week.

It’s coming up seven years since Thurlow won the Avondale Cup with Glory Days, and he’s looking forward to another shot at that race and the ultimate prize, the Gr.2 Auckland Cup, that the Red Giant mare added at her next start.

“It was a big relief to see him run so well last time,” Thurlow said. “We still haven’t been able to work out why his form was so poor earlier in the season, all we can assume is he’s one of those horses that for some reason won’t come up in the spring.

“But the main thing is that was more like him at Ellerslie to see him finishing off so well and we’ve been really happy with him since, so everything’s on target.

“We’ve got Craig Grylls booked to ride him in the Avondale Cup and all going well he’ll be on him in the Auckland Cup too.”

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