By Adam Hamilton
Jack Trainor is a man in demand. The talented former young Kiwi horseman has been a revelation since moving to NSW, especially since branching-out on his own just over a year ago.
Sure, he’s won Group 1 races, but this could be the most important meeting of his career so far when he heads to Menangle on Saturday night.
And it’s all thanks to his Kiwi connections.
Trainor drives the three Kiwi glamour raiders in the three feature races at Menangle.
As well as reuniting with his favourite, Stylish Memphis, in a mare’s free-for-all, top Kiwi trainer Cran Dalgety has also entrusted Trainor with the drives on his two major NSW Carnival hopefuls and two of his stable stars, Krug and Just Remember Me.
“I’ve never had a set of drives like this. I feel a bit like Mark Purdon would at those big meetings,” Trainor said. “They’re all stars in their own right.”
Krug, who is in NSW for the upcoming Chariots Of Fire, opens his Aussie campaign against open-aged free-for-allers in a $A20,650 free-for-all Saturday night.
“Carter (Dalgety) is looking after him and Just Remember Me at my place. Carter worked him this morning and drove another one with him, gee Krug worked well. He’s fast, very fast,” Trainor said.
“He’s drawn wide, so I think we’ll look to sit off the pace with him. Cash N Flow and Art Tutor go hard early, so I think there will be some pace on.
“I think this big (Menangle) track will suit him on what I saw this morning. People will really get to see how much speed he has.
“He’ll be very hard to hold-out this week.”
Dalgety’s other runner, Just Remember Me, faces a harder task from a wide draw (gate 10) in a key NSW Oaks lead-up, the $50,000 Group 2 Raith Memorial (1609m).
The daughter of Captaintreacherous lands at Menangle with a real buzz, having raced just seven times for two wins, three placings and a last-start second in elite company at Alexandra Park on New Year’s Eve.
And, of course, she’s got the added hype of being a daughter of former champion mare Adore Me.
“I’m really impressed with her. She looks great and I drove her this morning so get a feel. She just feels like a really good horse,” Trainor said.
“Carter and Cran say she’s ready to rock, so we’ll be pushing forward from the draw and it won’t bother me even if we do have to sit parked. I think she can still win.
“I know Madrid has fantastic form, but it’s been in the same pool of fillies here in NSW. This is a step-up for her and she’s first-up from a break as well. I fancy our chances of beating her.”
Stylish Memphis opened her latest NSW campaign with a blistering sit-sprint Menangle win two week’s ago in an open free-for-all. She drops back to racing the mares’ this week, but has an outside draw to overcome in a mile race.
“She was always going to improve on what she did last time and she has,” Trainor said.
“She’s so good I won’t be afraid to drive her tougher, more aggressively this week, especially against the mares.
“I think she’s got class over these. If I have to sit parked, I will. I couldn’t be happier with her.”
