The leading stable of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace has called on the services of a couple of in-form young riders for two of their chances at Moonee Valley
Celine Gaudrey will partner Matron Bullwinkel with Irish jockey Dylan Brown McMonagle aboard Kettle Hill when they meet in the Mitty’s Handicap (2040m) on Saturday.
Gaudrey has posted eight city winners in the past three meetings and is one win shy of having her claim reduced to 1.5kg while Brown McMonagle had a slow start to his short Australian venture but has begun to hit form in recent meetings.
Jack Turnbull, an assistant trainer based at Cranbourne for Maher and Eustace, said both horses enter Saturday’s race with strong claims.
Matron Bullwinkel won on resumption at Flemington in September and chased home Foxy Frida, again at Flemington, two starts back before disappointing when stepped up in distance at Cranbourne last start on November 25.
“I think we backed her up too soon, so she’s had a bit of time between runs, and she’s had a couple of nice gallops,” Turnbull said.
“We’re happy with her and off her work you couldn’t fault her, and we’re looking for a much-improved run from her come Saturday.
“The race itself is well within her class. We’ve claimed and if she relaxes, which is key to her, and gets a smooth run outside horses, she is up to it.”
Turnbull said Kettle Hill had been a cause of frustration for the stable.
A three-time winner in the UK before coming to Australia, Kettle Hill is yet to win in 10 starts in NSW and Victoria.
Turnbull conceded Kettle Hill ran a better race last start with Brown McMonagle in the saddle who had been partnering the gelding in trackwork in a bid to get him to settle.
“We’re backing him up two weeks after his last start as he’s a hard going, keen animal,” Turnbull said.
“He’s had one hard gallop in between, but he’s done a lot of his work down at Cranbourne.
“We’re experimenting in a sense. We’ve tried a few things, schooling him, a bit of treadmill work, just to take the edge off him and he ran well at Ballarat in pretty bad conditions, so hopefully he’s starting to recapture that form.
“Off his last run, he should be around the equation.”