Kropp’s Birdsville trek
Toowoomba gallopers in outback tilt
RACING: Toowoomba trainer Matt Kropp crossed stage one off his 2019 Birdsville Cup list yesterday when he arrived in the iconic Queensland outback town at the end of a five-day road trip.
Kropp and his son Will left their home base at 4am Sunday with five horses set to line-up at this weekend’s famous twoday Birdsville racing carnival.
The Kropps met up yesterday afternoon with Matt’s wife Kate and son Matt who travelled separately with the family’s camping gear.
Kropp saddles Spirit’s First, Foxleigh and Splitz on today’s card with Wait A Minute racing tomorrow along with Marksfield in the $40,000 TAB Birdsville Cup (1600m).
“The horses have travelled well. There have been no dramas and no fish along the way,” Kropp said yesterday morning as he approached the township of about 140 residents which swells this weekend to an estimated 7000 people.
“We stayed at Longreach for a couple of nights and Bedourie for another couple and we are about 10 minutes out of Birdsville now.
“I’ve been to Birdsville once before in 2016 when we ran fourth in the Cup with Billy Goat and it’s always amazing to see the vastness of the country.
“It certainly reminds you of what a huge country we live in in Australia.
“The country is actually looking great out here and there is plenty of water about.”
The Kropps will be joined during the weekend by several stable clients including the owners of Splitz and Marksfield.
“I’d like to think all of ours are winning chances this weekend,” Kropp said.
“But I suppose the race you come here to win is the cup and we’re hoping Marksfield can get the mile okay and run a race for us.
“He’ll be a little suspect at the 1600 metres in a really tough race, but he handles most tracks and has coped with the travel well so it will be a matter now of if he is good enough on the day.
“His owners are from Beaudesert and coming out for the race.
“The owners of Splitz are from Brisbane but they have a property at Quilpie and will be coming out to check on their cattle and will travel on to Birdsville.”
■ AT CLIFFORD Park tomorrow, Toowoomba fouryear-old Just Favulous will be aiming for two home-track wins in the space of six days for trainer Ducky Baker.
Just Favulous returned to the winner’s list in last Sunday’s Clifford Park Benchmark 62 Handicap (1300m) and backs up in tomorrow’s Wilmott Accounting Class 3 Plate over 1300 metres.