Ladbrokes Park Maiden winner Galaxy Raider is destined for bigger things with trainer Greg Eurell ear marking the Group 1 $750,000 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 5.
Jockey Chris Symons, above, have a high opinion of Ladbrokes Park Maiden winner Galaxy Raider. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Galaxy Raider ($15) was having his first race start when he came from near last to score a one length win with Chris Symons aboard in The Cove Hotel Maiden Plate (1200m) at Ladbrokes Park today.
Eurell was quick to put a huge wrap on the Hard Spun three year old and expects him to keep making improvement as he maps out an Autumn Carnival campaign.
“I said to the owners that colts are only three once so we might as well have a crack at the Guineas,’’ Eurell said after the win.
Even though Galaxy Raider only won a Maiden, Eurell is very confident that he had the potential to make the top grade.
“You’re a bit bubbly getting out of bed because you know there is just so much more to come,” Eurell said.
“He’s got an extra gear, he just hasn’t found it yet. It’s not as much about what he is doing but what he might be doing later on.’’
Winning rider Chris Symons was just as positive as Eurell about the future of Galaxy Raider and had plenty to say about the gelding’s debut win.
“We thought he would go well today. But being his first go today, he has done a lot wrong in his trials and he is very green and raw and he is the type of horse that we thought would be best out over a mile,” Symons said.
“But the pace was genuine. He was slow out and done a few things wrong and I was probably in the worst spot on this particular horse back on the fence.”
“Everything opened up and he was really able to work his way through them.”
“I am really looking forward to riding him over a bit more ground and Greg said the same that he is going to be best over a mile plus probably.”
“He has an enormous stride on him, this big track helped him today and he will learn a lot from today.
“Hopefully he will learn to get out of the barriers so he can put himself a little bit closer over those further trips.”
Eurell has had plenty of time in the spotlight with high class horses and trained his quality mare Pinker Pinker to win the 2011 Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley.
The Cranbourne trainer also put the polish on star sprinter Apache Cat who claimed eight Group 1 wins among his nineteen victories.
The giant chestnut with the baldy face was a favourite with the crowd and as well as and being among the country’s best sprinters with wins in the 2008 Group 1 T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick and the 2009 Group 1 Doomben 10000 (1350m) at Doomben, he also took out the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m), known as the Cadbury Guineas in 2006.
While Galaxy Raider is yet to prove himself at the elite level, the three year old has put the spring back into Eurell’s step.
“It’s hard to compare horses but I guess we’ve had a few good ones over the years so we kind of know what one feels and looks like,’’ Eurell said.
