Trainer Andy Gath targets Miracle Mile defence with Catch A Wave

While Andy Gath’s big guns are resting, the decorated trainer has four chances across three races to snatch more feature race glory at Melton on Saturday night.

Kate Gath celebrates driving Catch A Wave to victory at Menangle in September. Picture: Jason McCawley / Getty Images for Club Menangle

While Andy Gath’s big guns are resting, the decorated trainer has four chances across three races to snatch more feature race glory at Melton on Saturday night.

Miracle Mile-winning pacer Catch A Wave will be back in action soon as he heads towards the Group 1 Hunter Cup on February 1, but Gath admits his multiple Group 1-winning trotter Callmethebreeze is “only 50-50” of defending his crown in the Group 1 Great Southern Star on the same night.

“Tex (Catch A Wave’s stable name) is back fast working and will likely go to the Ballarat Cup (January 18) to prime him for the Hunter Cup,” he said.

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Catch A Wave, who boasts 23 wins from 46 starts and more than $2 million in earnings, hasn’t raced since finishing third to Kiwi star Merlin in the Group 1 NZ free-for-all at Addington in Christchurch on November 15.

“Beyond the Hunter Cup, we’d love to have another go at the Miracle Mile in March and then go back to Perth for the Nullarbor and Fremantle Cup in April, given he won them both earlier this year,” Gath said.

The immediate future is a lot less clear with Gath’s mighty French import, Callmethebreeze, after some niggling injury issues.

Kath Gath (right) celebrates a victory with Callmethebreeze at Kilmore. Picture: Stuart McCormick

“He’s still doing his rehab work and 50-50 to be ready for the Great Southern Star,” he said. “He won’t be rushed. If he comes back into the stable and seems ready, we’ll push on. If not, we’ll look at the big trotting race at Menangle on Miracle Mile night and then the Brisbane Inter Dominion (next July).

Gath’s next generation will carry the stable hopes at Melton across three different Vicbred Homegrown finals.

“I think Alrighty, one of our two runners in the 2YO trotting final for the boys (colts and geldings), is our best winning hope of the night,” Gath said. “He won in good time and in a dominant style in his heat and he should lead again.”

Iron Women (gate five) will be one of the favourites in the 2YO trotting fillies’ final, but Gath is wary of having main danger Zipping Volstead (gate two) stalking his runner again.

“She sat on our back in the heat and beat us easily and it looks the same scenario again,” he said. “Our filly should improve a bit from the heat, but you’d expect Zipping Volstead too as well, given that was her first start.”

Promising colt Ollies The Boss, named after former champion jockeys Damien Oliver and Glen Boss and raced by Ladbrokes Racing Club, looks one of the key hopes despite a back row draw (gate 10) in the 2YO Pacing colts and geldings final.

Ollies The Boss. Picture courtesy Andy Gath

Emma Stewart’s Captain Perfect (gate six) and David Moran’s Ronnie The Hammer (seven) are the other big guns.

“I don’t mind the draw as he’ll get the chance to follow the speed rather than have to make it like his past couple of runs,” Gath said.

“It will all come down to how the race is run, but there’s a good chance the two best ones off the front (Captain Perfect and Ronnie The Hammer) will really go at each other. If they do, we’ll be right in the finish.”

• Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp.

Originally published as Trainer Andy Gath targets Miracle Mile defence with Catch A Wave