Group One-winning trainer Andrew Campbell is set to return to the training ranks when he heads to Trentham on Saturday to line-up debutant Croupier in The Oaks Stud 1200.
“It has been quite a few years now since I last had a runner, so it’s quite exciting,” Campbell said.
“I love it (training) and doing nothing gets quite boring; there are only so many fish you can catch out this way.”
The respected horseman transitioned into a career as a bloodstock agent three years ago; however, he didn’t find it to his liking, so at the start of the season, he elected to make a return to training.
“I started doing a bit of bloodstock work, and we moved back down the line,” he said. “It wasn’t for me; you have to be a special person to sell horses, and it took me two or three years to work out that I didn’t enjoy it at all.
“I love going to the yearling sales, but buying them off the track was too tough for me; I didn’t like it.”
Formerly based in the Wairarapa and subsequently Cambridge, Campbell moved back to his home region after he ceased training but ultimately moved to the other side of the Tararua Range after falling in love with the Kapiti Coast.
“We moved back to the Wairarapa, and it just wasn’t the same as it was when we left,” he said. “We came over to the Kapiti Coast for a holiday and fell in love with it and bought a lovely place in Peka Peka, which is 10 minutes down the road from the Otaki track (where Campbell now trains).
“I have 10 boxes and 10 yards; that’s the maximum I am going to do. I have three in work at the moment, which is an even better number; I love it.”
Campbell is enjoying being back training, and while he admits to missing Cambridge, he is pleased to be training out of Otaki.
“I love Otaki, but I love Cambridge as well, it was good fun with great people, I enjoyed it up there,” he said. “This (Otaki) is like having your own private training track, it is very quiet, and they have great facilities.”
Campbell experienced his biggest moments in racing training for prominent owner Tommy Heptinstall, and he has reunited with the real estate mogul and his group of owners.
“I love the horses and I am mucking around now with a couple for Tommy (Heptinstall) and the boys, which is great, they are a good bunch,” Campbell said.
The first runner to step out for the reunited group will be three-year-old gelding Croupier, who will make his debut at Trentham this weekend.
Purchased out of Beaufort Downs’ 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft by Heptinstall and Campbell for $160,000, the son of Ace High has yet to be bested in his jump-outs and trials, but Campbell said he faces a stiff task against some staunch opposition first-up.
“He was down to run at Tauherenikau on Sunday, but they obviously canned it,” Campbell said. “We have got to a point where we have got to get him going. It is a bloody tough field on Saturday, with some really good horses in there.
“We think he goes alright but it will be a big telling point on Saturday. It is hard to see him winning that race with the good horses in it at his first start, but he is not the worst chance.
“He has had a couple of jump-outs, which he has won, and he won that (1000m) trial at Foxton reasonably well. He did a few things wrong, but he is one of those big, dopey horses that will only get better with time.”
Campbell said Saturday’s performance will dictate the remainder of his preparation.
“We haven’t worked out a plan as yet, but if he went super, we would head for the stars,” he said.
Campbell and Heptinstall were active at the Karaka yearling sales earlier this year, and Campbell is excited about the prospects of his young team.
“We bought five at the sales this year and I have got a couple out spelling,” he said. “We will have 10 horses to work with, which is a great number.”
Croupier has been installed a $12 winning chance for Saturday by TAB bookmakers behind Group Three performer I’m All In ($2.50) and stakes winner Super Photon ($2.60).
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