Queensland trainer Ben Ahrens daring to dream with $3000 bargain buy Kerchak

Whether or not they race at a sodden Doomben on Saturday, trainer Ben Ahrens is daring to dream big with his $3000 bargain buy Kerchak.

Trainer Ben Ahrens knows it would be a monumental step up, but he is daring to dream about races like the Hollindale Stakes and even the Group 1 Doomben Cup for his fairytale bargain buy Kerchak.

Kerchak, a $3000 purchase in an online sale after having tendon issues earlier in his racing career, took Ahrens on an incredible magic carpet ride last campaign.

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He won three in a row in tremendous fashion, including the $160,000 Mooloolaba Cup, and even earned himself a trip to Sydney where he was far from disgraced finishing fifth and beaten a length-and-a-half in an 1800m race at Randwick.

It might be a day for ducks at Doomben on Saturday but Ahrens isn’t concerned about resuming Kerchak on a wet track, given he handles all conditions and has won two from four on heavy tracks.

He wants to see how his six-year-old gelding returns in the Open Handicap (1350m), not wanting to plan too far ahead.

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But he conceded he doesn’t want to put a cap on what Kerchak could achieve this campaign, which kicks off not too long before the start of the Queensland winter carnival.

“If we can win or run really well at the start of his campaign, we would like to have a crack at some decent races with him,” Ahrens said.

“If he was going gangbusters we might look at a race like the Doomben Cup, if we can get his rating up, otherwise there’s races like the Hollindale.

“They are big step ups for him, those sort of races, but they would be the ultimate.

“We asked a bit of him last campaign, he was up and down in distance a fair bit.

“We are still not absolutely sure he is at his best beyond 2000m, so we will be looking at races from the mile to 2000(m) for him after Saturday’s race.”

Bargain buy Kerchak winning the Mooloolaba Cup last November for trainer Ben Ahrens. Picture: Grant Peters/Trackside Photography

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Kerchak, a son of Tarzino, has a new jockey on Saturday with Jag Guthmann-Chester replacing apprentice hoop Cody Collis who rode him in his last five races.

On Friday, Kerchak was a $7.50 chance to resume a winner at Doomben on Saturday.

There is doubt over whether they will be able to race at Doomben, given the mouth of the 1350m and 1600m chutes were already rated a Heavy 10 on Friday and there was the prospect of significant rainfall on Saturday.

If the Doomben meeting goes ahead, Ahrens said Kerchak would be fine on the wet.

He won the Mooloolaba Cup on a Heavy 8.

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“He seems to handle everything, all ground, I don’t know if he absolutely loves the wet but he seems to go good on it,” Ahrens said.

“We were in the same situation before the Mooloolaba Cup and I was considering pulling the pin and I’m glad I didn’t.

“You can make yourself look like an idiot by trying to be too conservative.”

Ahrens has stables at Beaudesert and the Gold Coast.

His best horse was Spechenka who went south to win the Group 3 Summer Cup at Randwick in 2010.

Originally published as Queensland trainer Ben Ahrens daring to dream with $3000 bargain buy Kerchak