Aesop chases run with the big ones

HORSE RACING FAR NORTH trainer Glenn Porter has his fingers crossed gelding Aesop will be able to sneak his way into the Cairns Cup field.

While the seven-year-old bay did not get the chocolates in the Benchmark 65 Handicap (1900m) on the first day of the Cairns Cup carnival, he certainly caught the eye of many black bookers at Cannon Park. Aesop flashed home in his first attempt at the 1900m journey, running second to the Janel Ryan-trained Binary, and has been nominated for Saturday’s $100,000 Cairns Cup, but looks unlikely to get a start, at this stage.

A total of 20 horses were nominated for the 2100m feature, with 14 to get a start late this Saturday afternoon.

Porter, who only has a couple of horses in work, is praying for some scratchings.

“He has never been past the 1400-1500m in his life and that was the first go at 1900m,” Porter said.

HE HAS NEVER BEEN PAST THE 1400-1500M IN HIS LIFE AND THAT WAS THE FIRST GO AT 1900M … WE ARE HOPING TO SNEAK IN AND SEE HOW HE GOES AGAINST THE BIG ONES

“He looked like he liked it but it will be about finding the right race for him now.

“He obviously likes the distance and he loves being on his home track. We are hoping to sneak in and see how he goes against the big ones but we will have to wait and see.”

In last Saturday’s race, Aesop sat at the tail of the field for much of the 1900m trip before being fired up at the 600m mark by hoop Chelsea Jokic to make a run down the extreme outside of the Cannon Park track. The gelding and Jokic could not run down the impressive Binary over the final stages but he showed enough to follow at his next start.

Ranked, the 2017 Cairns Am- MULTIFACETS (NZ) (Stephen Massingham) OUTSTRIP (Lauren Herne) RAMSDEN STREET (Alex Malliff) RANKED (IRE) (Alwyn Bailey) ROYAL ATOM (Darryl Hansen) SLADE AMIGOS (Ronald Finch) VAUNTING (Samantha Molino) WE JUST LOVE IT (Janel Ryan) ateurs Cup winner, is also nominated for Saturday’s Cup while there are also local hopefuls from the Trevor Rowe, Rodney Miller, Stephen Massingham and Fred Wieland stables.

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