David Aldridge has his eyes on the upcoming South Australian country cups with talented galloper Chicago Storm following his brilliant return to racing at Morphettville on Saturday.
Chicago Storm has now recorded five wins and seven placings from his 14 starts, his ability on the track overshadowing the difficulties he poses to those behind the scenes in training.
“He’s the hardest horse I’ve ever trained,’’ Aldridge said.
“Hazel (Fertier) is the only one who can ride him trackwork.
“We understand each other and we’re getting there, he is a handful. It’s a lot easier when they are a good horse, he never lets us down,’’ he said.
Aldridge said the handicap conditions of the Murray Bridge Gold Cup shaped as an ideal target for the galloper.
“I think it’s time to step him up a bit,’’ Aldridge said.
“We’ve got the Murray Bridge Cup. The Balaklava Cup might be a bit too soon for him maybe, if he’s going alright we might pop him over the border,’’ he said.
Michael Hickmott’s Braveman’sgame turned around a narrow defeat on debut a week early to break through before the Murray Bridge trainer’s sharp start to the 2023-24 racing season continued when Exalted Fire was successful just over thirty minutes later to give Todd Pannell an early riding double.
“He’s a great testament to what we’re doing at the farm,’’ Hickmott said.
“He’s thrived on the heavy sand training, we don’t have to do much with him between runs, I’d love another 10 of him.
“He might be my Alice Cup horse for next year, I’d love to win that race and I think this could be the right horse for it,’’ he said.
Patrick Payne claimed the opening race of the day with The Nephew, Maddie Raymond’s Home Rule was the second of four interstate winners on the day, Andrew Noblet’s Dernando making it two wins in succession before the Danny O’Brien-trained El Cordobes scored a narrow win in the final race of the day.
More than 330 kilometres away at Quorn it was a day of milestones.
Alan Lai recorded his first race win aboard Victory Time while one of SA’s newest training partnerships Kylie McKerlie and Waylon Hornhardt also had their first victory.
Apprentice Brittney Wong took riding honours with a double while Rochelle Milnes added another country feature to her resume winning the Quorn Cup aboard Shiny Rock for Ron Daniel and Trish Stanbury.
AND at the Country Racing Victoria Awards on Saturday night South Australian galloper Not Usual Glorious capped a magnificent season winning the Country Racing Victoria Horse of the Year Award.
The Travis Doudle galloper claiming wins in the Benalla, Terang and Swan Hill Cups as well as a second placing in the Warrnambool Cup last season.
