GUNNEDAH trainer Gavin Groth heads to Glen Innes on Saturday hoping to decipher the mystery surrounding talented Beale Street, as he also prepares for a six-horse home assault on Tuesday.
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Groth has nominated Beale Street and About Time for next Tuesday’s $20,000 MPC Earthmoving Summer Cup (1600m) at Gunnedah, while also entering Beale Street for a race on Saturday’s Glen Innes Cup program.
“I accepted at Glen with Beale Street and will probably go up there,” he saidupon learning the four-year-old gelding son of Choisir had drawn barrier six in the 11-horse $10,000 McDonald’s Country Class 2 Plate (1400m).
“Leanne Henry will ride him. She won on a horse called Pure Rock for me up there a while ago. That might have been my first winner up there. I think she also rode my first winner for me out at Moree a while back now.”
He is hoping that symmetry is successful again although he admits he has been “struggling” with him.
“I can’t seem to work him out,” he said.
“He was going all right but his last couple have been poor. I can’t find anything wrong with him. [I’ve] tried everything but it might be he’s just struggling with the big weights [he carried 61kg and 60.5kg at his last two starts]. It’s a Plate [race] up there so it’s wet weights and he only has 59kg.”
That will leave About Time to contest the Summer Cup at Gunnedah next Tuesday.
He won at Gunnedah two starts back but failed at Inverell on Cup day.
“He had 62 at Inverell and drew 13 of 13,” Groth said. “It was also a leader’s track that day and nothing came from behind. He did make up a bit of ground but just couldn’t get going. He’ll be better off at home and hopefully draw a better gate while also dropping a few kilos.
“Being back on his home track will be a big advantage.”
Groth also has a first-starter, Big Surprise, and expects the three-year-old to run well.
“He’s had a couple of trials. I expect him to run a good race,” he said.
“[I] also have a couple of mares in the fillies and mares race. One ran a good third the other day and the other trialled well at Tamworth.”
Saturday’s $16,000 Attenborough Fertilizers Glen Innes Cup (1400m) has drawn a good field of eight, with Inverell Cup runner-up Carry On Jake the top weight. The Paddy Cunningham-trained gelding won last year’s Guyra and Armidale Cups.
Allan Chau will jump the six-year-old gelding from barrier eight in a field also containing Wallabadah Cup winner Still Undaunted (Brett Cavanough) and last-start Inverell winner Devlann (Dean Smith), who has won three of his past four starts.
