Get Ya Kicks delivers remarkable form reversal at Wangaratta
A STUNNING “accidental” performance from six-year-old Get Ya Kicks has boosted the hopes of trainer James Fraser that a return to form could be on the cards for the previously under-performing gelding.
The six-year-old son of Keep The Faith had failed to place in 10 runs since winning on Boxing Day last year at Wodonga, but under a strong ride from Mitchell Aitken – who himself was returning to the saddle for the first time in three months – Get Ya Kicks pushed through a wall of horses to find the front at the right time and return $12.60 at Sportsbet.com.au.
Amthaal held on to finish second to deliver $3.40 to Crownbet.com.au clients, while race favourite Riley’s Rocket ($1.50 at WilliamHill.com.au) failed to find the line after a tough run.
James Fraser, who told HorseBetting.com.au that connections secured $67 on the galloper prior to the race, said the win in the penultimate event at Wangaratta was not the planned mode of attack for his gelding.
“I had him entered in the 1400m, he was third emergency,” Fraser said.
“I nominated him in this as a backup, so I decided we’d run him in this, because I thought it’d be better to run him here than not run him at all.
“I was wrapped with it.”
The recent form for Get Ya Kicks belied just how good the horse is at Wangaratta, having won twice and placing a further five times over 11 attempts at the rural track.
Fraser said the win was not as surprising to him as it was to the punters, stating the additional journey may have actually benefited his horse.
“He always goes well at Wang so I wanted to run him here,” the trainer explained.
“In all honesty, the extra 200m it all depends on luck in the running and tempo and all of that. In the back of my mind I always wanted to get him up to his optimal distance which is a mile and 2000m, and it helped today getting there a bit quicker because he runs much better in those races fresh.”
Not wanting to tempt fate given the horse looks like it has recaptured its elite form, Fraser said the horse will remain in the north east of Victoria rather than attempting another metropolitan tilt, but said the horse has the ability to race in the city.
“I’m just going to stick around races and events like this,” the trainer said.
“I have no big plans, having said that he has placed in Melbourne a few times as a three-year-old and I’ve always thought he could get back down there on a Sunday, Wednesday or Friday night race around the benchmark grade.”