As a racehorse, Through The Cracks is talented and tough, pushing through a multitude of niggling issues and injuries to carve out a successful career.
At home in the yard of trainer Angela Davies, he is more in the mould of spoiled pet, keeping staff entertained and on their toes with his daily quirks and habits.
“He will not work without a mate, so we have to find him a friend every morning and he refuses to leave the stalls unless he’s got a mate to go with,” Davies said.
“Then he walks around following us while we finish up everything.
“The rider who has ridden him all his career and spoiled him more than me, Meg, as soon as she gets off the last horse and he sees her take her helmet off, he starts pig-rooting in the stalls and she has to go and get him out so he can follow her around.
“You can’t leave him in there. As soon as he sees her helmet come off, that’s it.”
Luckily for Through The Cracks, he has a lion’s share of ability, although his road has been a winding one, injuries restricting the eight-year-old to just 23 starts.
Despite his ordeals, he’s won a Provincial Championships Final and been a multiple stakes placegetter, and Davies sometimes wonders how good he might have been if sound.
“He certainly would have won a Group Two or Group Three. Whether he would have won a Group One, who knows, but he would have been a Group winner, I’m sure,” Davies said.
After having his summer campaign cut short after two runs due to a pulled muscle, Through The Cracks returns in the SCCF James Tedesco Outreach Program Handicap (1100m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Davies will be happy to see him doing his best work late over the sprint journey with his main goals the Listed Civic Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on June 24 and Winter Stakes over the same course and distance two weeks later.
“Looking forward, this is a nice stepping-stone into those races later on in June and July,” Davies said.
“But he’s ready to return, his work was particularly good on Wednesday so I’m very pleased with him.”
Davies confirmed stablemate Karedada, the winner of three of his four starts, will line up in the Midway Handicap (1200m) despite drawing barrier 16.
She is confident he is also above average and keen to see how he handles his first city test.
“I know it’s difficult but if ever you want to draw a bad gate, Randwick with the rail in the true position gives you at least some chance,” she said.
“If the rain comes, the wet track won’t bother him and it might give us a few more scratchings.
“He’s a very talented horse I think.”
The pair are among just 12 horses Davies has in work, the majority hand-picked budget buys from the sales, but despite her small numbers, she continues to get results with a strikerate of almost 24 per cent winners to runners this season.
