Crook makes his move

Conor Crook is set to officially kick-start his Victorian harness racing venture at Tabcorp Park Melton on Saturday night.

The talented young horseman scored a winner at the final Tasmanian meeting before his move across Bass Strait, with partner Jordan Chibnall at the controls as Kuyomi (Bettors Delight) won in Launceston on Sunday.

And it’s the five-year-old that will be Crook’s first Victorian runner since relocating, with the horse to start from barrier six in the Catanach’s Jewellers Pace against a hot field of mares including Von Art (Emma Stewart), The Pantheist, Enchanted Stride (both David Miles) and Iolanta (Michael Stanley) this weekend.

Crook will also have Joe Nien in the PCFA Critical Catch Pace.

He and Chibnall arrived at their new home town of Shepparton early this week and will have the first batch of horses arrive tomorrow.

They will have a temporary set-up for the first couple of weeks of their stay as the new stabling complex at the Shepparton Harness Racing Club is completed.

Crook, 26, has trained more than 70 winners, driven over 250 and claimed last season’s Tasmanian State Drivers’ Premiership, while 19-year-old Chibnall is a winner of more than 50 races in the sulky since her career began in season 2019-20. She was also Tasmania’s leading junior and female driver in 2021.

“Every year I come over for the Hunter Cup and you get butterflies on the big nights,” Crook said earlier this month regarding the decision to set up camp in Shepparton.

“It’s obviously aiming pretty high, but Tassie sort of struggles to have the bright lights and that sort of stuff on the Saturday night, which really attracts me to Melbourne.”

Saturday night’s Melton meeting is highlighted by the Group 2 IRT Australia Matriarch Trot and the Group 3 VHRC Caduceus Metropolitan Pace Final, while the TAB Blacks A Fake Free For All has drawn a quality field of rivals.

For complete race fields, click here.

by Tim O’Connor, for HRV