Change for the better
LOCAL trainer Andrew Sawden attributes his stable’s form revival to a change of scenery.
Sawden has temporarily moved his stable to Andrew Campbell’s property at Connewarre after training out of Perrowood in Drysdale for the Mortimer family.
The change of stables has seen Sawden hit a rich vein of form, securing three winners and another three placegetters from his 10 starters this calendar year.
He also trained a double at Terang on Thursday, with talented Huge Action breaking his maiden, while his full sister Dimoshot collected her second win in a row.
Drysdale Spirit also ran a place at Terang.
Sawden said this run was just the beginning.
“It’s the change in scenery,” Sawden said.
“Anything that runs out of my yard will be highly competitive.
“You won’t see my horses running down the track.
“I’ve always been very ambitious and competitive. There’s not too many blokes more ambitious than me. You can be a trainer and be a knockabout that just trains (average) horses and be happy with it. But I’m not happy with slow horses.”
However, where Sawden trains out of next is up in the air, with his time running out at Campbell’s property.
“It’s only interim. I don’t know where I’m going at the moment,” Sawden said.
“I’ve sussed out Bendigo. They’ve got swimming pools, grass three times a week — the facilities are first class. At the moment it is in front of everywhere else.
“I’ve also rung up the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, but at the moment Bendigo is in front.”
Sawden, who took over the Mortimers’ horses and now trains and owns them in his own right with Dr Emma Hargrave, said Huge Action had a big future.
The three-year-old by Moshe went straight to the front and was never headed to break his maiden.
“He went up for a second trial, he was always going to win, he is that good a horse,” Sawden said. “I don’t want to go too early, but he’s got a V8.
“That win was only against very moderate company, but he is just doing it on three cylinders.
“He is nowhere near the horse I know that he has got under the bonnet.”
Sawden said he was always on the hunt for owners and was willing to let people into some of the “lovely yearlings” he has coming through.
Included in those is a full brother to Huge Action and Dimoshot.