Randalstown aiming to fulfil potential

Randalstown looked one of the north’s most promising three-year-olds six months ago and Morrinsville trainer Tim Hall is hoping he can go some way to fulfilling that potential at Alexandra Park tonight.

The Taranaki-owned son of Badlands Hanover lines up in what Hall describes as a “winnable race” to open tonight’s card.

“I thought it was a race he could win. It just depends how it unfolds,” Hall said.

“If we can lead from the two draw and then trail Beyond The Silence, that would be ideal, but you never know what is going to happen.”

Randalstown has never shown plenty of gate speed, though Hall said the pacer was better driven off the pace.

“The harder they go, the better he is. We have never really pushed him off the gate,” Hall said.

“But he is getting there. We will leave it up to Zac Butcher [driver] to decide how he is driven.”

Hall thought enough of Randalstown to line him up in the Northern 3yo Stakes in December and he didn’t disgrace himself behind the likes of Bit Of A Legend and Five Card Draw.

“To be fair he acquitted himself well against the best colts and he wasn’t a mile behind them in what was a walk and sprint affair,” Hall said.

“A few weeks later in the Sales Series race they went hammer and tongs up front and I’d love to know what he would have done in that. I’ve always had a big opinion of him, he has just never really had a lot of luck.”

Randalstown was a fast-finishing second behind former stablemate Aereus Maximus at his last outing.

Hall sold the latter to Simon McMullan and Kelly Blakemore midway through the season and was pleased to see him win for them before being onsold this week to Australian interests.

It wasn’t the only success story for a Hall graduate this year.

He and his father Pat sent Aereus Maximus’ trotting half-brother, Keystone Del, to Nicole Molander in Sydney after he won two races at a Manawatu meeting in October.

By March he had won a further six races, running 1:54.9 for the mile in the process, and won the Gr I A$ 200,000 Glenferrie Farm Championship on Interdominion Final day at Menangle.

Hall said Flipside, the dam of Aereus Maximus and Keystone Del, would likely be bred to Majestic Son this year for what would be her first foal in five years.

“We’ve been happy enough with the season. We’ve kicked a few goals and obviously what happened with Keystone Del was a dream scenario. But we’ve also been proud of what we have achieved here at home.”

Hall said it would be onwards and upwards next season with Randalstown, last-start winner Bailey Maguire and a number of other promising young horses.

“We’ve got a crop of nice young horses coming through, including Cable Bay, a rising three-year-old half-brother to Randalstown,” he said.

Hall also has It’s Big Time engaged this evening, a maiden trotter who has ability but is yet to put it all together on race night.

“She needs to get round in one piece three or four times. She’s got the ability it is just a case of taking that step up from the trials to the races.”