Promising import Craig priced on potential at Flemington after ominous Australian debut at Bendigo

Is promising import Craig under the odds to remain unbeaten in Australia at Saturday’s Flemington meeting? His trainer thinks he might be.

Is promising import Craig under the odds to remain unbeaten in Australia at Saturday’s Flemington meeting?

Co-trainer Trent Busuttin suspects that might be the case.

TAB punters have backed Craig from $4.80 to $4 in early betting on the RDAV Mary Longden Mile (1600m).

Craig easily won a Bendigo maiden at his local debut but Busuttin noted the son of Territories was jumping sharply in class.

“I would say he’s come up shorter in the market than he deserves to be,” Busuttin, who trains Craig in partnership with Natalie Young, said.

“They’ve priced him on potential rather than performance. We’ll see but we’re just hoping he goes out there and runs well, being aware that it’s a step up from a midweek maiden.”

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Busuttin said Craig had progressed well since his dominant Bendigo success while stepping up to 1600m would suit the gelding.

“Not getting carried away, he’s done well since he raced and we’ve got no complaints,” Busuttin said.

“He’s got a nice draw (barrier five) and a nice weight but we want to see him do it.

“The way he raced the other day, he was very strong in a hard-run 1400(m) so you’d suggest a mile would suit him.”

Craig wins on debut.

While Craig is rising significantly in class, Busuttin said the information gained from Saturday’s race would mean as much, if more than, the result.

Busuttin said the opportunity to chase city prizemoney in three-year-old company also made worthwhile the exercise of sharply stepping up Craig in class at only his second local run.

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“He’s still a three-year-old and you don’t get many chances to race an English-bred three-year-old in Australia,” Busuttin said.

“But we’re not climbing into him thinking he’s going to go out there and destroy them.

“It’s a good chance to learn a bit more about him.

“He’s still got to go into town among three-year-olds that have won two or three races.

“He’s still a long, long way off the finished product but once he turns four, he has to go against the older horses so we might as well have a look.”

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Jockey Luke Currie will ride Craig as well as the $17 chance He’s Our Bonneval in the RDA Pakenham Trophy.

Busuttin and Young scratched He’s Our Bonneval from a recent race after the import drew barrier 20 but the gelding has also drawn barrier five at Flemington.

Busuttin said He’s Our Bonneval’s quirk means Currie needs to perfect his timing as he did when the pair combined to win at Flemington two starts back.

“He’s got a very, very short turn of foot,” Busuttin said.

“He quickens up really well but he can only sustain it for 150m then he plateaus out.

“It gives the impression that he’s a non-trier but he just levels out.

“He needs everything to go his way.

“At some stage in the straight, he may look the winner but we’ll see.”

Busuttin said stablemate Cawdor was unlikely to run unless significant rain fell on the Flemington circuit in the next 24 hours.

Originally published as Promising import Craig priced on potential at Flemington after ominous Australian debut at Bendigo