Chris Nash’s Mr Have A Chat will aim to win his first race at the top level in Darwin when he takes on 0-76 opposition this Saturday.
The seven-year-old gelding has come close with three minor placings against quality opposition since debuting in the Top End in February.
Mr Have A Chat impressed over 1200m in 0-70 ranks a month ago when he chased down Gary Clarke’s Change Is Coming in the home straight.
That ended a sequence of finishing second in three consecutive races.
It’s a field of six this weekend, and despite drawing the outside gate with Sonja Logan on board, Nash remains optimistic.
“He was due, I was getting sick of seeing second next to his name,” he said.
“It was good to get a win, he has only missed a place twice in 11 starts since he came to Darwin.
“We’ve always ridden him for speed because he is so brilliant out of the gates.
“Last start, there was an equally brilliant horse out of the gates in Change Is Coming, so we just took the sit and that worked.
“It doesn’t mean we’re going to ride him with a sit from now on.”
Nash is expecting another good run from Mr Have A Chat against Mr Cashman, Kerioth, Swing With Junior, Cormorant and stablemate Son Of Bielski.
The son of I’m All The Talk has had seven starts since June, and he won’t be heading to the paddock anytime soon.
“Every meeting there’s a race for him, so it’s just a matter of managing him, keeping him happy and spacing his runs a bit so that he doesn’t need a spell,” Nash said.
“He’s probably the safest bet of running a good race and running top three that you could imagine because he’s so consistent.”
Son Of Bielski, who won six straight for Nash from October to June, returns after a three-month spell and will be ridden by Adam Nicholls.
The eight-year-old gelding, victorious in the St Patrick’s Day Cup (1600m) in March, probably needs the run despite having success over 1300m.
“He had his first spell in 18 months after the Katherine Cup,” Nash said.
“He’s working well and he looks good — he might run a good race first-up.
“Last year, he arrived with a low rating and that was the way we were able to go through the grades and win those six races.”
Son Of Bielski was flying prior to the Alice Springs Cup (2000m) in April, but he didn’t start due to a foot abscess.
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