‘Black book him’: Best yet to come from Miller gelding
Cairns trainer Rodney Miller believes punters should put Helmaz in the black book for this year’s carnival season after the five-year-old gelding scored a fourth straight win.
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Cairns trainer Rodney Miller believes punters should be putting Helmaz in the black book for this year’s carnival season after a fourth straight win at Cannon Park.
“I think so, he’s got a lot in him,” he said.
“I would think he’ll get 2000m so we might target a few of the lead-up Cups.”
After scoring on heavy ground at Cairns last month and good going at Mackay in January, the five-year-old gelding proved his versatility with his latest victory on a soft track in the Open Handicap over 1400m on Saturday.
Ridden by experienced hoop Bonnie Thomson, Helmaz was sent around as a drifting favourite but went like anything but.
The Helmet gelding found the lead early and couldn’t be run down as he held on for a length victory over the fast finishing Love Is Blind and Silent Explorer.
Helmaz has strung together four wins this campaign – one at Townsville, one at Mackay and two at his home track – and trainer Rodney Miller believes the best is yet to come.
“He’s come from Melbourne and hasn’t had a break, so when he does he’ll come back a lot better horse, but while he’s fine we’ll keep winning,” he said.
“He’s a very consistent horse. I thought his gallop during the week was first class but that can be a sign they’ve had enough, but it’s not, he’s proved that today.
“He’s a fair horse, don’t worry about that.”
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Previously with Flemington trainer Mark Kavanagh, Helmaz arrived at Miller’s stable last year and has not missed a placed since running eighth in his North Queensland debut at Townsville last September, with four wins, two seconds and a third.
Thomson was impressed by the gelding in what was her first time riding him.
“He’s a class horse,” she said.
“He was obviously the horse to beat in that race, but he only had to live up to his form that he had been doing previously.”
She said Helmaz still had plenty in him at the post.
“He was still going pretty strong on the line,” she said.
“He’s had a few runs this prep too, so he may be coming to the end of his prep — obviously Rocket (Miller) is the guide on that — but he’s had a pretty solid prep, so to keep doing that is pretty impressive.
“He’s just a good, honest, tough horse.”
Rowe mare out to shake ‘professional bridesmaid’ tag
Cairns trainer Trevor Rowe is banking on a bit of luck and an additional 150m of track for Craiglea Rafferty in this Saturday’s Maiden Handicap (1250m) at Cannon Park.
The four-year-old bay mare has placed in each of her last five starts across the Far North, including four seconds before a last-start third a week ago at Gordonvale, but is yet to salute a victory from 26 career starts.
“She has always been an honest filly and she always finds a reason to get beat or finds that one better,” Rowe said.
“She was a little bit unlucky last week, there was a little bit of tightening mid-race and she got shot out the back, but she runs on really well.”
Rowe has preferred races around the 1000m mark for Craiglea Rafferty, but the trainer was hopeful a rise in distance would work in his favour.
“I used to always think 1100m used to see her out but I think now she’s a little bit older and a little bit more mature,” he said.
“She seems to be looking for that little bit further so I’m hoping the 1250m will do the job.”
Rowe said Craiglea Rafferty was a treat away from the track.
“She’s just a lovely, kind horse — she’s beautiful,” the trainer said.
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“She’ll make an excellent kids pony when her racing career is over — if the owner’s don’t want to breed with her — but she’s a lovely horse in the stable and does absolutely nothing wrong.
“She deserves to win a race. She’s won near on $30,000 in prize money and she’s still a maiden.”
Rowe said the four-year-old mare was building a reputation as a “professional bridesmaid”, and hoped she could shake the tag with apprentice hockey Krysten Swaffer in the hot seat at Cannon Park on Saturday.
“She seems to go really well for the female jockeys,” Rowe said.
“She goes well for Krysten, and Rachel Shred rode her a treat in Mareeba two starts back.
“I think she just likes the gentle hands because she’s a lovely, gentle horse herself.”
Craiglea Simmo will make his second start under Rowe in the Benchmark 58 Handicap (1500m), after an impressive win at Mareeba earlier this month.
Elsewhere on the day, the Rodney Miller-trained Helmaz will shoot for a fourth straight win in the Open Handicap over 1400m.
‘You wouldn’t think she’s a filly’: Dale chasing Elite follow-up
After a strong third on debut at Cannon Park last week, Cairns trainer Mark Dale is hoping Elite Standard can go two better in her follow-up run this Saturday.
Dale will start the three-year-old filly in the Maiden Handicap over 1250m and said he was expecting a better performance in her second career start.
“The rider was probably just a little bit impatient on her last week, worked hard to lead and just left her a bit vulnerable late, but she fought on well,” he said.
“She probably ran out of a little bit of fitness over the last 75m the other day. She goes up in distance but after an eight-day turnaround.
“She tightened up in the run the other day and I just think she’ll have an easier time of it on the speed at 1250m, as opposed to the 950m.”
Dale said Elite Standard had settled in well since she was purchased at the Inglis Digital online auction three months ago.
He said the filly’s “great type” immediately caught his eye.
“She’s very well put together,” Dale said.
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“If you walked past her on the road you wouldn’t think she’s a filly, she’s got a very masculine physique. I don’t’ think she’ll be long winning a race.
Dale has opted for a rider change this Saturday, with apprentice jockey Zac Lloyd to take the reins.
“I’ve engaged Zac to ride her this week to give her a bit of weight relief,” Dale said.
“I think she ticks a lot of the boxes.”
Dale will also send around Ali’s Jab in the 3YO Benchmark 65 Handicap (950m).
The three-year-old gelding is chasing his first career win after starting his racing career with two seconds and a third.
“He’s never been far away, but he just hasn’t managed to win one yet,” Dale said.
Originally published as ‘Black book him’: Best yet to come from Miller gelding
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