Hopes high for promising gelding Adaboycharlie

ADABOYCHARLIE is poised to continue the Bruce Cross stable’s winning momentum when he lines up at Orange today.

Cross, a renowned horseman who trains a small team out of Warwick Farm, has only sent two horses to the races in the past eight weeks but has saddled up winners with his past three runners.

The stable’s win streak commenced with Adaboycharlie, who resumed with a brilliant 4½-length victory in an Orange 1280 maiden on November 24.

At the same meeting, the Cross-trained Somoso won his maiden over 1600m before backing up at Nowra last Sunday to win again over the same distance.

Adaboycharlie goes back to the races today to contest the Class 1 Handicap (1400m).

“We are having a bit of luck and I’m hoping Adaboycharlie can keep it going – there is no reason why he won’t,” Cross said.

“He is stepping up a little in grade but I think he is a nice horse in the making.”

Adaboycharlie is a half-brother to Cross’s former talented sprinter Just For Tilda, the winner of his first three starts by big margins before a narrow loss in the Canberra Guineas last year.

Just For Tilda was then sold to Hong Kong interests but is yet to race overseas. Cross sensed Adaboycharlie had similar potential to his sibling and didn’t push the gelding as a young horse.

In fact, Adaboycharlie did not start as a juvenile and only made his race debut last January, running unplaced in a Canberra maiden.

Adaboycharlie pulled up with an injury after the Canberra race and did not reappear until late last month when he romped away to win his maiden very impressively.

“The injury he got after the Canberra race wasn’t life-threatening or anything, but we gave him nearly a year off to get over any issue,” Cross said.

“Horses that can gallop like Adaboycharlie don’t come along very often so you need to give them every chance.”

Adaboycharlie is stepping out to 1400m today but Cross said the extra distance won’t be an issue.