3 minute read

Mr Crowe showed he was better off ridden quiet when he came from the rear to steam home at long odds in the $65,000 Initiation race over 1400m on Sunday.

The Oscar Racing Stable-owned Alamosa three-year-old led on debut in a Restricted Maiden race over 1200m a month ago but was gobbled up inside the last 300m as he weakened to ninth place.

Jockey John Powell rode him for the first time in a barrier trial last week and reported to trainer Laurie Laxon the gelding could not quite keep up with the early pace, but the kickback was probably not to his liking.

Powell was then told to ride Mr Crowe more conservative this time, especially from barrier No 1 which should allow them to enjoy a ground-saving run.

While plans often go out the window in racing especially with such inexperienced young horses, things went to script this time with Mr Crowe jumping well before dropping back to worse than midfield along the fence and gradually improving through the 12-horse field in search of daylight and praying for luck.

Powell found both when a saloon passage down the middle suddenly presented itself at the 400m. The $218 smokie went through his gears in no time to burst through the pack at the 200m and score by half-a-length from Black Thunder (Alan Munro) with favourite Aurora Australis (Vlad Duric) settling for third place another half-a-length away. The winning time was 1min 24.02secs for the 1400m on the Long Course.

“We rode him upside down last start which was probably the wrong way to ride him,” said assistant-trainer Shane Ellis.

“We went with the early speed he showed in his trials, but we made a blue. JP rode him in a trial and anchored him back and we decided to ride him back this time.

“The 1400m was his go today and he will probably get further, too.”

Powell, who made a winning comeback on Friday with Warpath after being sidelined through a knee injury for a month, said Mr Crowe surprised him with the way he sat and sprinted on Sunday.

“I rode him in a trial and he dropped back but that was because he didn’t like the kickback. We thought why not ride him colder today and it’s paid off,” said the Australian hoop.

“I was quite surprised how he was going so well on the corner. I didn’t have to weave my way through as the gaps just came and he quickened through really well.”