CARE To Think’s scratching from Saturday’s $1.3million Kosciuszko (1200m) has left the Tweed River Jockey club and Murwillumbah trainer Matt Dunn with just the one representative in Saturday’s feature country sprint at Royal Randwick.
Five-year-old Care To Think, winner of six of his 15 starts and more than $870,000 in prizemoney was the Kosciuszko favourite until he became ill this morning and was scratched suffering from an elevated temperature.
It left Matt Dunn with just the one runner, Snitz, in the race.
Tweed River Jockey Club president, Bernie Quinn, said it was a disaster for Matt and the owners of Care To Think, one of which is Bernie’s son Damien Quinn.
“Can’t believe it, the horse (Care To Think) has been getting barrier 12 and 15 in his races and finally draws a good gate (1) and now he’s been scratched,” Bernie Quinn.
“At Least Matt still has Snitz in the race,” he said of a four-year-old gelding who has won five of his 14 starts.
“Jenny Graham must be over the moon. She already had Victorem in the race and now she’s also got Awesome Pluck.”
Victorem has drawn barrier four as well to ensure both her runners have the chance to be up running in good positions.
For Matt Dunn it shapes as a big day with three of his stable – Mediterranean (7), Tristan De Angel (8) and Saxton Rock (12) – all running in the $100,000 TAB Highway Handicap (1400m).
He may also have half a dozen runners at Murwillumbah on Tuesday when the TRJC runs a seven-race TAB meeting.
The TRJC received 122 nominations for Tuesday’s meeting today, 10 of which were for the 1200m Open Handicap.
Nominations for that race have been extended until 11am tomorrow.
C ash Spinner (John Shelton), Hydrazine (Stephen Lee), Knight Templar (Jason Reilly) and Powerful Saga (Helen Page) head those nominations, Powerful saga the top benchmark rater (83) after winning seven of his 34 starts for more than $216,000 in prizemoney.
He has started twice at Murwillumbah, winning a 1200m Open there in early June before running a five length sixth to Taillevent in the 1200m Newmarket on Cup day.
Cash Spinner, a seven-year-old mare prepared at Grafton by John Shelton, has also had two starts at Murwillumbah but yet to place there. The daughter of Spinning world has won nine of her 44 starts and amassed just under $150,000 in prizemoney.