Country galloper Sebony took a long time coming to town.
Now he’s had a taste of it he is back for more.
The eight-year-old had his first 42 starts on country tracks before making his city debut at Rosehill in October.
He returns on Saturday for his 46th start and will run in the 1500m Benchmark 80.
Michelle Strickland, wife of trainer Chris, is a former jockey and rides Sebony in all his work at their base on NSW’s Sapphire Coast.
She said weight had caught up with the gelding in the bush, prompting them to look elsewhere.
“There are no races around here for him. He gets too much weight,” Michelle Strickland said.
“He was (rated) a Benchmark 82 horse when he came back from his spell so it’s a matter of having to travel with him now.”
Sebony has been a great money-spinner.
He has won 14 and been placed in another 15 of his starts for more than $140,000 prize money.
His most recent appearance was in the Goulburn Cup when he came from near the tail for an eye-catching fourth.
The Stricklands have 70 acres at the Sapphire Coast and work a team of eight but there is no doubting Sebony’s standing in the stable.
“We use him to teach all the babies,” Strickland said.
“We call him Old Sargeant, or Chris calls him Chief.
“In the stable he will try to bite but in terms of riding and handling him he’s really good.”
While the city beckons for Sebony on Saturday, he is likely to embark on a country Cups campaign in the coming months with the Narooma and Moruya Cups high on the agenda.
AAP TURF
