Cranbourne based former Kiwi trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young are looking to claim back to back wins in the Group 1 $2m BMW Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick on Saturday with Anaheim after they collected the winning trophy last year with Tavago.
Jockey Hugh Bowman, above, will ride Anaheim in the Australian Derby at Randwick. Photo by Sarah Ebbett.
Busuttin and Young relocated from their New Zealand base in Cambridge to Cranbourne outside of Melbourne in August last year and the win of Tavago in the 2016 Australian Derby gave the pair great confidence in starting up their new training operation.
Anaheim was the first horse to race in Australia from their new Cranbourne training complex and ran third in 1400m Maiden at Sale on August 18.
The Fastnet Rock colt has worked his way up through the grades and will step out on day one of ‘The Championships’ as one of the better fancied runners in the Australian Derby.
Co-trainer Natalie Young said that stable’s confidence of winning back to back Australian Derbies was boosted when Anaheim came up barrier one in the thirteen horse field.
“Very happy with barrier one,” Young told racing.com.
“Tavago jumped from one last year when we won the Derby.”
“Big relief actually because the last couple of runs this horse has actually had wide barriers and through circumstances we had to ride him quite back and quite cold and I think he is a horse that really needs to be sitting fifth or sixth in the running.
‘Because he hasn’t got an immediate turn of foot but he sought of likes to get a little bit of time to get rolling so I think it is perfect to draw one.”
Young said that Anaheim and Tavago were different type of horses but she was hoping for the same result come Saturday.
“They are both quite different horses. Anaheim is a Fastnet Rock colt, a little bit stronger, cops a little bit more work,” Young said.
“Tavago last year, he had his races spaced that little bit and was a little weaker as well.”
“A little bit different both of them.”
Anaheim is the winner of two of his nine race starts and even though he hasn’t won since taking out the Listed $150,000 TV Stakes (1800m) at Flemington on Crown Oaks Day during the 2016 Melbourne Cup Carnival, his Autumn form hasn’t been far off the mark.
Two starts back Anaheim was beaten less than two lengths when fifth to Hey Doc in the Group 1 $750,000 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 4 and followed that up with a fourth on a heavy 10 track to Gingernuts in the Group 1 $600,000 Sky Racing Rosehill Guineas (2000m) at Rosehill on March 18.
Leading Group 1 winning jockey Hugh Bowman was aboard Anaheim in the Rosehill Guineas and will stick with the Fastnet Rock colt as they take on Gingernuts again in the Australian Derby.
The Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards trained Gingernuts has been installed as the $3.50 favourite for the Australian Derby at Ladbrokes.com.au while Anaheim is also well in contention in the betting at $8.
Randwick Guineas winner Inference is on the second line of betting at $4.40 ahead of Kiwi three year old and last start Tulloch Stakes winner Jon Snow at $6.50.
