Setback fails to flatten McCall
ON THE crest of a recent winning wave, Sunshine Coast trainer Natalie McCall is set to unveil the first of what she hopes to be a strong two-year-old team this season when Hamlet Von Snitzel runs at Doomben on Saturday.
McCall has led in nine winners from her past 29 runners.
It’s a far cry from earlier in the season, where a virus swept through the stable and the winners dried up.
“We had a crappy start to the year. It was pretty dull for a while,” she said.
“We had just one winner the first two months with that virus, but now they are all feeling a bit better it’s back on track.”
The potential star of the team is Platinum Euros, who
scored a stunning home track win on January 3 after bombing the start.
He’s set to run next Saturday at Caloundra’s standalone metropolitan meeting.
“He’s been a long time coming, in that he’s been a bit injury prone, but he’s going good this time round,” McCall said.
“He still has heaps to learn, but has lots of raw ability and it’s very exciting.”
McCall, winner of the 2014 Stradbroke with River Lad, is in a transitional phase, with more than a third of the horses she has on the books now two-year-olds.
“I had good support with yearlings last year. I’ve had a few clients starting to put their hand up, which is exciting.
“We’ve got 23 two-yearolds out of 60 on the books.”
“There are progeny of
I
Am Invincible and Snitzel, including Saturday’s debutant.
“I think he’s a nice twoyear-old. He’s won the two trials. He hasn’t run much time in either, but he wasn’t extended either. He’s pretty slippery.
“I have another Snitzel there that has also trialled well (Baldassare), probably a bit hidden. He’s gone to the paddock, but we have good hopes for him too.”
Platinum Euros’ half-sister
Sooblond is another potential young talent for the stable.
“She goes pretty good too. She’s had one 400m jumpout and is doing quicker work now. She’s probably a few weeks away from trialling,” she said.
McCall’s other Doomben runners on Saturday are laststart winner Magic Delta and the veteran Spectroscope.
“Magic Delta beat a couple of metropolitan-grade fillies in her last win,” McCall said. “She’s nippy and around
Doomben, wet track if it stays that way, she’s a chance.
“Spectroscope might be having his swan song. If he runs decent, he will go to 1800m in a fortnight, then retirement, but if not, this will be it.
“He’s been frustrating. His strike rate when he came to us wasn’t great. He doesn’t like putting his head out.
“It’s almost a year to the day where he raced to the lead, then pulled up. He’s got some tricks, but he’s a lovely old horse.”
McCall picked up two horses from last week’s Magic Millions sale, those being a colt by first-season stallion Pariah and a sister to the talented Baroda.
“I think everyone up here was a bit similar. It was tough going, but good to get a couple by the end of it,” McCall said.
We had a crappy start to the year. It was pretty dull for a while NATALIE McCALL