Usually it’s wise at the ‘Bool to follow the money when it rolls in for the locals, but should you employ the same tactics when it comes for an Irish-import now trained at Cranbourne?
The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained Chicago Bear is first up and has been backed with most markets from an opening quote of $13 into $4.80 for today’s eighth event a 1400m Open Handicap at Warrnambool.
The imported galloper is one of many in the race resuming on the testing heavy ground and part-owner OTI’s Terry Henderson thinks the Northern Hemisphere-bred five-year-old will not only handle the surface but show his improvement now coming into his second Australian racing preparation.
“He’s given every indication on his second prep in Australia that he’s come back very well,” he said.
“He’s a good fresh horse so I think he can win even over that shorter distance first up, I can see him running down the outside quite strongly.
“Both his jumpouts coming into it have been very good. They haven’t been outstanding but they’ve been solid and in both occasions he’s run through the line very strongly.
“It’s probably short of his best distance but given the track conditions and the fact the horse does go well in the wet he’s going to be very competitive,” he said.
“Johnny Murtagh trained him in Ireland, he ran well on wet tracks over there.
“He’s probably a 1600m+ horse normally but we can probably get away with 1400m in the conditions that he’ll face.”
Henderson purchased the Siyouni galloper out of the mare Ebalista after seeing him when visiting Murtagh’s yard in Ireland this time last year.
In the early parts of his career Chicago Bear won three races in Ireland, breaking his maiden over 1408m before rising in distance for wins in his four-year-old season at 1609m and 1811m.
The imported gelding had two Australian starts last spring for his new Cranbourne yard finishing 4th first up in a BM90 behind French Emperor and Beltoro at Flemington on Champions Day.
Before an end-of-prep unplaced run at Pakenham in early December where he failed to make up ground after a slow start and was subsequently put away after the performance for the late Autumn.
“His first prep over here was good, we could have actually won the race at Flemington and were a little unlucky there.
“First preps in Australia for these imported horses are a bit question mark always.
“He has spelled, we’ve given him plenty of time and now he looks as if he’s going to really lay a foundation for a career going forward.
“I think we’ll get him into some serious races later on. I think he’s a developing middle-distance horse that can be very effective over those 2000m distances and this year we’ll aim at something like the Cranbourne Cup.”
The above is part of an article from Kate Watts from Racing.com and can be read in full here.