ROD Northam believes After All That will run a mighty race in Saturday’s $400,000 Country Championship Final (1400m) at Randwick.
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The Scone trainer backs the gelding up in country racing’s feature race after a gallant second to Pelerin in Sunday’s $50,000 Wild Card (1300m) at Scone.
Speaking at Tamworth’s Tuesday meeting after Nobody had cruised to an easy win, Northam was upbeat about the chances of his gelding in Saturday’s Final despite the short six-day turnaround.
“I’m really happy with him,” Northam said.
“He pulled up well.”
It will be After All That’s second tilt at the Country Championship Final.
“He ran last in it last year,” the Scone trainer recalled.
“He wasn’t ready but I own him and ran him.”
His great mate, Robert Thompson, who rode him in the Wild Card, will partner him on Saturday as well.
“He hit the front a long way from home (at Scone) but kept boxing on,” he said.
“It was a very brave run.”
Northam has had a runner in both CC Finals so far as well, finishing third with Voodoo Lad in 2015.
After All That has drawn gate 21 of 23, but is likely to jump from 14 of 16 if the final field holds up.
It’s been a good few days for Northam.
He won at Scone with Grundalina last Sunday and then won with Nobody at Tamworth on Tuesday.
He sits fourth on the Hunter and North West Racing Association trainer’s premiership with 19 wins behind Paul Perry (32), Greg Bennett (26) and Sue Grills (21).
Northam is equal second on the Tamworth Jockey Club trainers premiership with Grills (both six wins) two behind the retiring Bennett.
Nobody blitzed his rivals on Tuesday and bigger things are in store.
A son of Lookin At Lucky the four-year-old gelding led a merry dance as he cruised along in front before letting down strongly for Greg Ryan and score a four length win.
He had debuted at Scone with a sixth to Caerless Choice back in October, spelled and resumed with a two and half length second to My Maggie at Scone on March 21. “He pulled up really well after Scone,” Northam said.
“He backed up well today but he’s still green, still raw and wanted to over race early on.”
However when Greg Ryan settled him he was able to “stack them up” and then race clear to score what was a truly emphatic victory.
“He felt super,” Ryan said.
“Wish they were all as easy as that.”
Northam has no concrete plans for the lightly-raced gelding.
“We’ll look for a Class 1 somewhere over a similar distance and progress from there,” he said.
