Not-so Marbellouz
TRAINER Kevin Kemp has another name for the so called “niggling” problems that have kept his slick sprinter Mr Marbellouz on the sidelines for the past 14 months.
The winner of eight races from 18 starts resumes at Doomben on Saturday after a year that included a planned spell, a minor virus, runny nose and a bumped leg.
“They call them niggly little things but I call them bastards of things,” Kemp said.
“It became a bit frustrating and the time adds up pretty quickly but I suppose the one positive is that it’s given him time to mature.”
Mr Marbellouz, now a seven-year-old, was sidelined initially with a virus and when he came back into work a little cold was enough for his owners to order another three months out.
“I’ve seen horses before that you persevere with in those situations and it just ruins them, so it was the best thing to give him that extra time,” Toowoomba-based Kemp said.
“Then we got him all the way back and ready to trial and he fell over when he was just walking along and bumped his leg. I couldn’t believe it.
“Anyway, we’re back again now and he seems really well.”
Mr Marbellouz is an $11 chance with Ladbrokes in Saturday’s Open Handicap (1050m), where Tullio is the $2.50 favourite ahead of Stradbroke Handicap runner-up Niccanova ($5.50).
The general consensus is Mr Marbellouz will need the run as he builds towards the Weetwood Handicap in Toowoomba on September 26, but Kemp thinks he might surprise a few people.
“His jumpout the other day was as good as I’ve ever seen him go,” he said.
“It was over 900m last Thursday and I clock them from the 800m to the 400m and it was pretty quick.
“He doesn’t have to be up leading as we know but the way he’s going, I think he will be in the first four (settling).”
Kemp has won four Weetwoods and says given the most recent of them was back in 2014, he’s due another one, so he’s hoping Mr Marbellouz can regain peak form over the next month.
Mr Marbellouz has been ridden to his past six wins by apprentices and Kemp has entrusted the ride on Saturday to 3kg claimer Madeleine Wishart, who is back after escaping serious injury in a frightening fall at Ipswich last month.