All systems go for Victorian trotting Queen

With the journey from Victoria now in his rearview Matt Craven’s ready to launch his six-horse attack on harness racing’s Queensland’s Constellations carnival.

Having settled at John McMullen’s Glamorgan Vale stables, some 1825 kilometres from Craven’s Ecklin South home, the reinsman will give stable star Pink Galahs her first hit-out at Albion Park on Saturday.

She will step from 20 metres in her heat of the Darrell Alexander Trotting Championship, while stablemates Helgart and Itzamajor Surprise will go around in the first.

“All horses seemed like they have travelled well and we got here no hassles,” Craven said today, having been untroubled by border crossing but settled in the Somerset Region, among large portions of South East Queensland locked down until July 2 due to COVID-19.

“There’s nothing much unusual (to be locked down for a Victorian),” Craven said. “We’re here to train horses, not to go out to party, so there’s no drama.

“It’s going to be a super, strong carnival, a credit to Racing Queensland and everyone involved. They’ve really created something that will get stronger and stronger in the years to come. Hopefully they can get crowds along for the big nights, because there are going to be some very good horses.”

In addition to the aforementioned trio of mares Craven has also taken Kowalski Analysis, Crime Writer and three-year-olds Bettor Call Me and Lamandier to Queensland for what looks set to be a big build up to the carnival’s July 24 conclusion.

Craven joined SEN Track’s Trots Life on Monday to recap Pink Galahs bold frontrunning display in Saturday night’s IRT Australia Matriarch Trot, when she finished fifth but was beaten only two metres.

“She’s coming back nicely, but she’s not probably to the level that we’d like her to be at just yet,” he told Trots Life.

“There’s plenty of bigger races later in the year and the trip to Queensland to have her really screwed down. She’s probably just that little bit heavier than I’d like her to be.

“It will be a big test from the stand (on Saturday night). Three runs over 2600 for Pink Galahs, at this stage, but it’s more looking to the future and maybe bigger races down the track. If she could go and compete well in those races and the mobile, it will condition her for later on in the season.”

Craven is also hopeful that Kowalski Analysis will thrive up north and secure a place in The Rising Star, the July 10 $250,000 feature for three and four-year-olds.

“Kowalski seems to have come back really well, just hope going into The Rising Star he has a good week, he travels up really well and, if that’s the case, he’s proved he’s more than capable at that level,” he said.

JOIN MATT CRAVEN IN THE SULKY FOR A LAP OF HIS ECKLIN SOUTH TRACK, COURTESY CAMPBELL’S COMMENTS: