Trainer Pat Murphy is aware of the task facing Buff Mobile at Goulburn on Friday but feels the gelding is up for the challenge.
The Kitchwin Hill born three-year-old was knocked down to his owner Stephen Jones and trainer Pat Murphy for the not so princely sum of $6000 at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale in 2021.
That was a long way short of the $300,000 his stakes-winning dam Murjana sold for or the $1.5 million forked out to buy his father, Sooboog.
The Form: Complete NSW Racing thoroughbred form, including video replays and all you need to know about every horse, jockey and trainer. Find a winner here!
Mitchell Bell will again ride Buff Mobile at Goulburn. Picture: Bradley Photos
Buff Mobile won back $20,635 in the best part of 80 seconds when both ‘shocking’ and ‘impressing’ in his May 9 maiden win at Goulburn at just his second appearance and with barrier 14 of 14.
Anyone who saw the win wouldn’t believe Buff Mobile’s $26 starting price or the ease of the victory thanks in no small part to a brilliant ride by Mitchell Bell.
“I did say to Mitch he is going to be strong and he is going to be tough because he is a very tough horse,” Murphy said.
“Mitch rode him accordingly. He put him into the race and coming around the corner, I thought well let’s see what we have got and I was very impressed with what I saw.
“You can get a bit caught up in their maiden but you want to see them do it again
“It’s a very hard stat to do – to win your maiden and win your Class 1 – and he is up against some hard heads being in that benchmark race with a lot of horses having a lot more experience than him so it will be a good test for him.
“If he can do the same again then we have definitely got a serious horse.”
Murphy, meanwhile, is eager to present prolific owner/breeder and former Governor of the Reserve Bank, Bernie Fraser, with a first win for the consistent Fairness Is Best.
A son of Press Statement, Fairness is best has finished runner-up at three of his first four starts prior to his May 9 home track appearance when he only managed to beat one other home.
“I put it down to the heavy track which we won’t get on Friday,” Murphy said.
“He was a little bit keen early in the run also.
“Win, lose or draw he will go to the paddock after this run
“He’s had a really good preparation. This race looked good to give him one more run at his home track
“He hasn’t me any signs to put him in the paddock this week anyway so he is going there is great order.”
Murphy, a former apprentice to Guy Walter, won’t need to give too many instructions to the riders of his other two Goulburn entrants namely Kathy O’Hara (Invincible Ninja) and Adam Hyeronimus (Bet Red).
“I did my apprenticeship at Guy Walter’s at the same time as Kathy and Adam is a good friend of mine,” Murphy said.
DODSON HAS COUNTRY CUPS ON HIS RADAR WITH HANDY PAIR
Coffs Harbour trainer Brett Dodson has designs on winning Friday’s coveted Beef Week Cup at Lismore and the South Grafton Cup after that.
Dodson will saddle-up two runners in the Beef Week Cup, Gobbled and his older, more experienced stablemate, Full Press.
Gobbled ($6.50) is the more fancied of the two and for good reason. The son of Star Witness turned in his usual low-key first-up run at Grafton on April 30 finishing well down the order behind Beef Week Cup rival Andy.
Gobbled (left) is ready to peak in the Beef Week Cup at Lismore. Picture: Bradley Photos
Dodson’s charge made dramatic improvement at Taree just eight days later, this time going home with the bronze; his efforts all the more honourable given he shouldered a crushing 60kg.
“His two runs back have been great,” Dodson said.
“He usually takes a couple of runs just to trim up a little bit and get him up to the distance that he likes and anything from 1400m brings him right into play.
“I didn’t want to back him up last start, second-up, but when they get upgraded it’s hard to find races around in the bush.
“Last start, he went to go forward and the rider tried to grab hold of him but he wouldn’t come back underneath him. He probably raced a bit fresh second-up and was three wide, no cover, so in the end it was a really tough run.
“He will drop five kilos on Friday on his last run and he has drawn perfectly. He’ll go forward and make his own luck. I think he will run a really good race.”
Dodson’s second runner in the Beef Week Cup, normally run at Casino but transferred to Lismore because of a few issues with the track, is Full Press ($26).
“He takes a couple of runs to come right. He may need one more,” Dodson said.
“He is best when he gets up over the mile.
“He’ll probably go to Port Macquarie, I think it is the Wauchope Cup, coming up in a few weeks’ time.
“It’s over 1500m and then he will hopefully get into something like the South Grafton Cup over a mile; that would be his aim.”