LAST season’s Champion Provincial Horse Think It Over will have “a little poke around” at Kembla Grange on Monday as he takes another step on the comeback trail.
Local trainer Kerry Parker is looking to give his $7m earner an 800m jumpout as a precursor to a barrier trial in a few weeks.
The rising eight-year-old gelding has not raced since a breathtaking victory in the $4m Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick in early April last year on a very heavy track during The Championships.
In a dashing display, his rider Nash Rawiller skirted the outside fence in the straight as $41 chance Think It Over surged past Zaaki ($5) and Mount Popa ($61) to clinch his second Group 1 success, and 12th career win from 35 starts.
The Queen Elizabeth field also included the now retired champion pair, Verry Elleegant ($3.80 favorite) and Anamoe ($4 second favorite), along with triple Group 1 winner Duais ($6.50).
Unfortunately, Think It Over subsequently sustained an injury to his off fore tendon, and has been given plenty of time to recuperate.
“We’ve had him back at the stable since April to give him a good foundation for the spring racing,” Parker said when we caught up en route home from Wyong where, disappointingly, his $1.65 hotpot Acceber (Rebecca spelt backwards) was nudged out by $101 bolter Anansi in a Provincial Class 1/Maiden Plate (2100m).
“I was hopeful he could win, but he was short enough for a horse who has won only the one race from 17 starts,” he said.
Parker is pleased with Think It Over’s progress so far, and will take him to the jumpouts on Monday morning provided he has done well over the weekend.
“The jumpouts are graded in terms of the class of the horses, and are exactly the same as trials jumping from the barriers without being official,” he said.
“But Think It Over won’t be out to break any records. My apprentice Jess Del Frari will ride him and he will just have a little poke around and canter around the outside.
“Once he has this jumpout, all going well he will then be ready for a trial in a few weeks.”
Parker, who has done a magnificent job with the gelding, is eyeing the $750,000 Group 1 wfa Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on August 19 as his star’s comeback race.
*Story John Curtis June 15, 2023 - Pic supplied*
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