The Leon and Troy Cortsens trained Tried And Tired and Robert Smerdon’s Mr Utopia are the early morning race day equal favourites for the Listed $150,000 Midfield Group Wangoom Handicap (1200m) at Warrnambool today.
Tried And Tired is one of the top fancies in the Wangoom Handicap at Warrnambol. Photo by Adrienne Bicknell.
Ladbrokes.com.au had both Tried And Tired and Mr Utopia marked at $4.60 when the day’s betting began while the Peter Moody trained Sino Eagle was the only other runner under doubles at $9.
Co-trainer Troy Corstens has a soft spot for Tried And Tired who he says hasn’t got a high class pedigree but his biggest attribute is he puts in at every race start.
“He has been fantastic,” Corstens told Racing Ahead.
“He is not the best bred horse in the world, but gee he tries hard. I speak to every trainer out there and nine times out of ten they prefer one that tries really hard to one that has a good pedigree and doesn’t.”
“He has been fantastic for the stable and we are lucky to have him.”
Tried And Tired has been lumped with 60kg and will jump from barrier nine in the fifteen horse field but Corstens has dismissed them as a problem today.
Champion jockey Damien Oliver takes the ride today and will be desperate to get a win on the five year old after recording two placings from three recent rides.
“He should possie up midfield somewhere like that and when you have D Oliver on board it always helps that little bit,” Corstens said.
“He does like to swoop a little bit so that will suit too.”
“He is a big and strong enough horse and I think over the lesser distances 60kg is not as bigger challenge. I think weights are more important when you get up over a bit more ground.”
Tried And Tired is fitter for one run from a spell when fourth, with Michael Walker in the saddle, to Politeness in the Listed $120,000 TROA Bel Esprit Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on April 18 and will wear the winkers for the first time today.
Walker will ride Corstens’ other Wangoom runner General Groove who will jump from the outside of the field and is one of the roughies in the race at $21.
Equal favourite Mr Utopia comes to Warrnambool after scoring a first up win on a heavy 8 in a 1200m BenchMark 90 Handicap at Flemington on April 25 and Smerdon is looking to keep the momentum going after preparing a winning double on the first day of the three day Warrnambool Carnival yesterday.
Dangerous Breeding scored a comfortable win in the $70,000 Hotel Warrnambool VOBIS Gold Strike (1000m) while Spencer Street won the $22,000 Warrnambool Greyhound Racing Club BM70 Handicap (1200m).
Mark Zahra rode Mr Utopia in his Flemington win and will need plenty of luck today from barrier fourteen.
