Inter-Dom and NZ plans for Gath’s stable stars

Andy Gath has thrown his equine cards on the table and is starting to shuffle them.

The addition of star harness racing trotters Callmethebreeze (Trixton) and Im Ready Jet (Quaker Jet) to the barn has created some “good headaches to have.”

The immediate focus is easy, the next two Saturday nights at Melton.

But what about beyond that?

Can Gath and wife, Kate, juggle a Perth trip with Catch A Wave around the same time Callmethebreeze will head to New Zealand?

Where does Im Ready Jet go?

And who, if any, of those stable stars will tackle the Sydney Inter Dominion?

“We (Andy and Kate) had a good talk about all that on the way home from Kilmore,” Gath said.

It’s starting to look a lot different to what Gath had planned a month ago.

The big reason is the virtual clash of dates between the $450,000 Group 1 WA Pacing Cup (November 8) and NZ Cup Day (November 12).

Team Gath is notoriously “hands-on” with their horses and Perth and Christchurch a long, long way apart.

“It’s looking like we will give Perth a miss with Catch A Wave,” Gath revealed.

“The timing is tricky, but it’s also hard to get suitable flights.

“If he can’t get there in time for a lead-up race the week before, we wouldn’t go and we can’t be assured of that.”

WA’s loss is set to be NSW’s gain.

“He’ll probably stay home now and if he does, then we would set him for the (NSW) Inter Dominion,” Gath said.

Team Gath could go from none to two Inter Dominion contestants.

“I’ve got to chat with Pat (Driscoll, owner), but I’m leaning that way with Im Ready Jet, too.” Gath said.

“I don’t think we’ll take her to NZ and if we don’t, she should go to the Inter Dominion. One of these two trotters should be in it.”

That won’t be Callmethebreeze, who was stunning winning last Friday night’s Group 3 Kilmore Trotters’ Cup.

The dominant win in a 3150m standing-start feature was an ideal test for the 3200m standing-start $400,000 Group 1 Dominion Trot at Addington on November 12.

“That’s exactly why we went to the Kilmore race,” Gath said. “He’s off to NZ now.

“Thanks to Keayang Zahara getting a slot in the new race (Ascent), I’m told there’s a flight from Melbourne to Auckland on October 16 now.

“It means we can run in the (Group 1) Bill Collins (Sprint) on October 12 and get that flight across.

“It’s quite early to get there, but you do go to Auckland and then on another flight down to Christchurch.

“It also opens the possibility of a lead-up race over there, but we’ll worry about that closer to it.”

For now, Gath has a big enough challenge in 12 days when Callmethebreeze meets champion trotter Just Believe for the fifth time.

Just Believe leads 3-1, but Gath expects a great battle in the Bill Collins.

“He was a bit rushed into that first preparation for the big races, but this time he’s had a good spell and should be even better.

“The bar certainly goes up for him when gets back against Just Believe, but it’ll be exciting to see exactly where he’s at against the best.”

by Adam Hamilton, for Harness Racing Victoria