Well-related gelding shooting for back-to-back wins

Well-related gelding Shooting Stride will be seeking back-to-back wins when he heads to Gore on Friday to tackle the Gore Elite Plumbing (1335m).

Bred by Pencarrow Stud, Shooting Stride is out of stakes winner Cote D’Or, and is a half-brother to Go Racing’s Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) winner Maison Louis.

He was a $160,000 Karaka purchase as a yearling and initially raced in the North Island for Cambridge trainer Lauren Brennan and Byerley Park trainers Grant Cooksley and Bruce Wallace before the decision was made to send him south last year.

He joined Lee Callaway’s Waikouaiti barn, and ultimately his ownership, and the Otago horseman has enjoyed a couple of wins with the now six-year-old, including over 1400m at Wingatui earlier this month.

“I have a couple of friends up in Auckland that have got quite a few horses and have some with Grant Cooksley,” Callaway said. “Because he wasn’t performing up there, they decided to send him to me to train in the South Island.

“He never goes well fresh-up, he normally takes three of four runs before he starts performing, but once he gets those wet tracks and has a few runs under his belt, he tries hard.”

The stars aligned at Wingatui at the start of the month and Callaway was pleased with his winning effort under jockey Rohan Mudhoo.

“He went really well, he likes the wetter tracks,” Callaway said. “The start before he was pretty unlucky, he copped a check coming into the straight and he takes a bit to get going and can’t pick up and sprint again. He has been racing quite well.”

Daniel Bothamley will be in the saddle on Thursday, and Shooting Stride will jump from barrier four.

“He should be able to jump and put himself in the race,” Callaway said.

The track was rated a Soft7 on Wednesday morning, with rain forecast ahead of the meeting, but that doesn’t perturb Callaway.

“I don’t think it is going to be really Heavy, but it should be wet enough for him,” he said.

Shooting Stride is a $4.50 favourite with TAB bookmakers, ahead of The Cool One, Miss Pearl and Fourofus at $6.

Callaway will line-up another favourite on the nine-race card, with The Hares Ears currently heading the market for the Paddy’s Bins (1335m) at $3.20.

While she has been unplaced in her two starts this preparation, Callaway said she has derived plenty of improvement from her last outing over 1200m at Timaru earlier this month, and he expects a bold showing on Friday.

“I have been a bit disappointed in her in her last couple of starts, but the 1335m distance should suit at Gore,” Callaway said. “She had a good blow last time, so needed the run. I think she should go quite well.”

Callaway will also line-up Claudius Maximus in the Southern Sheep Services (1335m).

“I think if I got a (Soft)6 or 7 track I would be really happy, and we could get away with an (Heavy)8, but if it is really Heavy, that is going to be the question mark,” Callaway said. “He has won on Heavy in the past, but I think he likes a bit better tracks now.

“Stepping up that little bit in distance to 1335m will definitely be in his favour because last time he flew home.”

Having retired from riding earlier this year, Callaway said he is enjoying devoting 100 percent of his time to his training business, and he is excited about a couple of young prospects in his care.

“I am glad to be training, and I don’t miss the riding, more the fact of having to go to the races and waste,” he said. “I am really enjoying the training side. I have got about 13 in work at the moment.

“I have got a couple of really nice young horses coming through. I have one having a jumpout next week called Doing Time, who I think is going to be a really nice horse. I also had a nice three-year-old (Outlaw) race the other day that was second in his first start against one of Te Akau’s (Sword of Stars) that ran third in the Canterbury Belle (Listed, 1200m). He is only a small horse, but I quite like him.”