By MIKE DILLON
Winning the New Zealand Cup and Easter Handicap two races apart is not quite a Great Northern Steeples-Railway double, but it's heading in the right direction.
Trainer Gus Clutterbuck is worried about completing the double with Wake Forest at Ellerslie on Saturday, but not for the reason you would think.
If Wake Forest had not crashed heavily when resuming from a spell at New Plymouth last month, Clutterbuck says he would be going into the weekend full of confidence.
"It put his preparation back three weeks, which is your worst nightmare going into a group one race," said Clutterbuck yesterday.
"He was very stiff and sore for a while after the fall and it has put us on the back foot."
Clutterbuck was able to give Wake Forest a second race at Trentham two weeks ago and his fifth, running on strongly behind Grindley over 1400m, was a sound effort.
Winning a New Zealand Cup after taking an Easter Handicap is an extremely tough double, to do that in reverse five months apart is something you could not even think about for most horses.
Clutterbuck says Wake Forest is one horse who could manage it if he can get him into the race close to 100 per cent.
"He's a very, very good horse, much better than most give him credit for. He has won three PQ races and each time there has been a well-publicised excuse for the second horse.
"A measure of his class is that he won the New Zealand Cup over 3200m having only once previously raced beyond 2000m. Not many horses could do that."
Wake Forest has a wonderful record on heavy tracks, but because the horse is struggling slightly with his fitness, Clutterbuck would like to see footing no worse than easy to a good level of soft.
"Normally I wouldn't be worried, but an easy track would be perfect."
Clutterbuck will get a blood picture of Wake Forest today to confirm the trip from Palmerston North to Auckland.
Another who is worried about lead-ups is Mike Moroney with O'Malleys Boy.
The underrated gelding missed his final lead-up at Tauranga after a slight virus and Moroney says that could tell at the end of a race like the Easter.
"He's got the class to win an Easter, but the worst thing that can happen is having a hiccup going into a race like that.
"I have to admit I'm a bit worried. We managed to squeeze a trial into him at Matamata last Thursday, but I'm not sure that's the same as having a race."
While he was won three races on firm tracks, O'Malleys Boy has a great record on easy and soft tracks and even with 56kg would be a realistic winning chance on Saturday if close to his best.
Racing: Wake Forest chasing rare NZ Cup-Easter double
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