Form suggests Mister McRae might need a soft track to race at his best but Moree trainer Peter Sinclair hopes that’s not the case.
The gelding will line up in Tuesday’s $20,000 Goodwin Kenny Class 2 Handicap (1000m) at Tamworth with Peter Graham in the saddle.
Mister McRae has won once in seven outings and has drawn well in barrier four.
That one win came in the wet but Sinclair isn’t holding out for rain. He’s instead hoping the gelding can race to his potential on what is rated a good four track at Tamworth.
“After he won his maiden at Coonamble last year he gave me a real good feel,” Sinclair said.
“I thought he was going to be a real good horse. He has been disappointing since but in saying that, when he was at Kris Lees’ in Newcastle, he barrier trialled well but on a wet track. His win at Coonamble was on a wet track, too, so I am wondering if he just a wet tracker.
“I’m hoping I’m wrong because he has been working well and is in quite good order. I honestly thought he was maybe a provincial or Brisbane class horse. When he won at Coonamble Leanne (Henry) said he gave her the best feel on a horse for a long time.”
Along with Mister McRae, Sinclair is also preparing another of his stable – Track Flash – for two big races.
Sinclair will start Track Flash in this Saturday’s $8000 B&W Rural Talmoi Cup (1400m) at Garah.
It’s a special race made even more exciting by the fact Track Flash has won the first two legs of the Golden Triangle picnic circuit crown. He won the Boolooroo Cup at Moree before taking out the Mallawa Cup.
Only three horses have won the Golden Triangle in the 88 years of racing the picnic circuit – Mulgate (Eric Jurd) in 1961, Gefilte (Trevor Smith) in 1988 and Tapakeg (Peter Sinclair) in 2014.
Sinclair would become the only trainer to have won the Golden Triangle twice if Track Flash wins on Saturday.
Track Flash has also qualified for the $50,000 Picnic Final at Dubbo later in the year.
‘He ran in it last year too, ran sixth I think,” Sinclair said.
“He’s not a big horse but seems to handle the picnic weights pretty well.”
Track Flash raced in the Talmoi Cup last year, too, but didn’t “handle the tight, dirt track” at Garah, Sinclair recalled.
“He may be getting used to them,” Sinclair said.
Nominations for Talmoi closed at 11am on Monday along with nominations for Saturday’s Les Howard Willow Tree Cup meeting at Quirindi.
The Qurindi Jockey Club, fresh from last Tuesday’s John “Mouse” Sinclair Cup meeting, have six $10,000 TAB-covered races programmed on Saturday.
