Triple Crown on the agenda for Close Up
NO horse has ever won the Hawke’s Bay weight-for-age triple crown, but Cambridge trainer Shelley Hale is keen to keep the dream alive following Close Up’s upset win in the opening leg.
The eight-year-old gelding was an $18 outsider when he won the Group One Tarzino Trophy at Hastings under jockey Grant Cooksley, having only gained a start on the morning of the race.
As a Group One winner, Close Up was assured of a start in Saturday’s Group One Windsor Park Plate and success would almost certainly spur Hale and her co-owners into making a late entry payment for the Group One Livamol Classic at Hastings on October 7.
“We’d definitely have a look,” Hale said.
“At nominations time, I thought 1600m might see him out, but if he runs a strong mile on Saturday, we’ll definitely consider the last leg. It all depends on how he’s hitting the line on Saturday.”
Only Starcraft and Seachange have contested the third leg of the triple crown having won the first two legs. Starcraft was pipped by Balmuse in 2004 and Seachange finishing third in 2006 and fourth in 2007.
Kawi won the first two legs last year, but didn’t contest the Livamol Classic, while Jimmy Choux, Wall Street and The Message were others to win two of the three legs.
Hale believes Close Up will be ready to go for the second leg.
“He’s in pretty good nick. He seems to be every bit as good going into this one as he was before the Tarzino Trophy,” the trainer said.
“He’s only had two goes at weight-for-age for a second in the Foxbridge Plate and his group one win. You can’t get much better than that.
“We have a little query with him at the mile, but I don’t think it’s going to be a problem. He’s never got the opportunities over longer trips before because we’ve tended to give him light preps.
“He’s jarred up on firm tracks so we’d always ease up on him. His family have all gone over 2000m so we’d like to think it won’t be any issue.”
Despite saluting in the opening leg of the triple crown, Close Up is expected to jump as an outsider in the Windsor Park Plate, something the horse’s trainer is not surprised about.
“You’ve got to be realistic. It’s a Group One race and they are blinking hard to win,” Hale said.
“But I couldn’t be any happier with him. His work this week has been super and he looks a treat. Everything is going 100 per cent with him. I don’t get confident for any race, even a maiden, but I know he’s in good order.”