Wolfie produces master class

After 397 days away from the racetrack, five year old Rakamurph (Captaintreacherous) proved the worth of Gore trainer Tony ‘Wolfie’ Stratford’s conditioning skills when he produced a win at Winton yesterday.

“Nice horses can do that sort of stuff, can’t they,” Stratford said.

Stratford said former trainer Nathan Williamson had had the gelding in and out of work for the last year but couldn’t get him to the races.

RAKAMURPH REPLAY

“He’d come up and go sore. So he’d biff him out and he’d go sore again – where I don’t know. There hasn’t been any drama since we’ve had him. I was actually dropping off Rakavenom to get turned out and Brendan (owner Brendan Fahy) said that I might as well take Rakamurph.”

To make yesterday’s win even more remarkable was that Rakamurph hadn’t been sighted at any trials or workouts.

“I took him down to Wyndham last Saturday and gave him a hit out on his own. He worked at workout speed. We were confident in that we knew the horse’s ability. It was a good drive by Blair (Orange). He didn’t rush him early, gave him a nice run, they went hard and that played into his hands.”

Stratford said Rakamurph will have ten days off and get set for the Southern Surge Series.

“Those $25,000 races are at Gore at the end of August.”

Meanwhile another pacer part-owned by the Fahy family Dreams Are Free, (Captaintreacherous) is two weeks away from trialling for Williamson.

“I take him for a private run next week either at Invercargill or Winton. We’ll probably do that until I give him a trial. He seems good,” Williamson said.

His three year old season was mixed. In eleven starts he won a heat of the Sires Stakes in Auckland and the Sophomore in record time at Ashburton. He was placed a further four times.

The entire last started in the New Zealand Derby, finishing in eighth place.

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink