Budding stayer can give Murwillumbah race big shake

ON A Handshake hasn’t won a race yet but if he lives up to his trainer Kevin Randall’s expectations he should rack up a number of career wins.

And that success can start on Thursday at Murwillumbah in the Maiden Plate (1550m).

“He’s a very good horse, this fella,” the Casino-based Randall said. “In 18 months or two years this horse will develop into a Cups horse.

“He wants a spell but I just want to win a maiden with him … before he has a break.”

The Shrapnel four-year-old is having his seventh start and has placed at his past two runs over 1720m and 1400m.

He would have been suspect at 1400m last start after several runs over more ground but he’s started to develop into the type who can adapt to different circumstances and the step back up in trip is a positive.

“It’s hard to come back in trip and run that well. He wants 2000m eventually,” Randall said. “It took him five runs to get fit and to switch on and figure out that he is a racehorse. Around the stable he’s so casual and relaxed.

“He disappointed me in his first trials. They were pretty ordinary and it took him three runs to start hitting the line and now he can attack the line.

“He should have won his last two. He got too far out of his ground at Casino two runs back then got knocked down at Grafton when he was going to dash through. Two strides after the post he was in front.”

Randall, who also owns On A Handshake, thinks he’s primed to win on Thursday from barrier seven with Emily Atkinson on board. “He should be winning. I’m that confident,” Randall said. “As long as he can stay one off the fence and make one run.

“He’s not a sit-and-sprint horse. You’ve got to have one crack at them and not break his momentum.

“The breed loves the wet too so the soft track will be fine.”