TRAINERS GO EXTRA MILE FOR SUCCESS

SUNDAY: July 21, 2024: HAWKESBURY trainers Ed O‘Rourke and Terry Croft have clocked up the kilometres this week – and it has all been worthwhile.

The pair won races at Grafton’s July carnival during the week; O’Rourke with Twin Turbo (Zac Lloyd) and Croft with Hot Jive (Alysha Collett).

They returned home for further success; O’Rourke with Iron Man at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday, and Croft with Royal Veloute on his home track on Sunday.

O’Rourke almost made it three winners in a few days when Barellan Bandit ($6.50) was narrowly beaten by Let Me Reign ($4) in the Hawkesbury closer.

Talented four-year-old Iron Man ($8.50) vindicated the faith O’Rourke has long held in him when he made it two wins from as many starts this preparation, at the Rosehill Gardens meeting.

Ridden by Tyler Schiller, Iron Man sustained a strong run in the straight to overwhelm $3.20 favorite Willaidow in the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1200m).

It was the gelding’s third win from only 10 starts in a career which was punctuated with a breathing problem last year which required an operation to remedy, and a long spell.

“Iron Man is now doing what I always believed he could,” O’Rourke said on Sunday morning.

“I was especially pleased for owner Stuart Ramsey, who has been a terrific supporter of my stable.

“I thought Iron Man was a good thing in the Midway Handicap (1300m) at Rosehill, but he drew off the track, so we went to the Benchmark 78 instead.

“Now that we’ve got Iron Man back and racing so well, I’m not going to overtax him.

“He will be sparingly raced during the rest of winter and early spring.”

O’Rourke will be anxiously awaiting the RacingNSW handicapping panel’s treatment of Iron Man following his Rosehill triumph.

The son of Exosphere was a 68 rater beforehand, and his trainer considers he cannot be raised more than four points – the same as when he scored first-up at Canterbury last month.

“He carried the limit weight (55kg) in the race in a Benchmark 78 Handicap, and won only by just over a length,” O’Rourke said.

“Provided he is treated as I expect, there is another suitable race at Royal Randwick in three weeks.

“Eventually we will step him up in distance.”

O’Rourke considered taking Iron Man to Brisbane last winter for the 1600m Queensland Guineas at Eagle Farm – a race which his dam, the now deceased Sequential Charm, won in 2007 – but he wasn’t mature enough then.

O’Rourke is certainly finishing the season with a bang, and says he has a good mix of horses in his stable, including a number of youngsters.

Croft, meanwhile, followed his success with Hot Jive in the Big Super Maiden at Grafton – he won the first running with Catseye Surprise in 2013 – by landing the Klein Tools – IPD Provincial Maiden Handicap (1300m) at Hawkesbury with Royal Veloute ($8.50).

The three-year-old daughter of Spieth was resuming and raced without blinkers, downing fellow Hawkesbury representative, Edward Cummings’ $2.35 favorite Torie’s Rose.

Alysha Collett rode Hot Jive at Grafton, and also had the Hawkesbury mount.

Royal Veloute’s defeat of Torie’s Rose robbed Tommy Berry of a four-winner haul, having scored earlier on Coast Guard ($3.40), After Match ($3.60) and Wings Of Desire ($2.90 favorite).

. The 2023-24 premiership winners were finalised at today’s last meeting of the season.

Sydney’s gun apprentice Zac Lloyd, with 14.5 wins, took both the senior and junior premierships, emulating Tyler Schiller, who won both last year.

Chris Waller was Hawkesbury’s leading trainer with 13 wins, but not before Peter and Paul Snowden made a late charge.

Team Snowden won two of the first three races with Coast Guard ($3.40) and After Match ($3.60) to move to 12 wins, but their bid to equal Waller was thwarted by Winx’s half-sister Wings Of Desire ($2.90 favorite), who defeated the father and son’s representative Written Scandal ($4.20) in the F&M Maiden Plate (1100m).