Connections of smart galloper Ranger will be hoping he can emulate former West Australian champion Northerly when he has his first Victorian start in Saturday’s Carlyon Cup at Caulfield.
The Fred Kersley-trained Northerly arrived in Melbourne in February 2001 as the winner of the Group One Railway Stakes (1600m) less than two months earlier and had his first eastern states start in the Carlyon Cup (1600m) – then at Group Two level but now a Group Three.
Northerly, ridden by Greg Childs, romped in in sizzling time and went on to become a star of the turf winning two Cox Plates, two Australian Cups and a Caulfield Cup among his 19 successes.
His earnings of $9,341,850 stand as the third highest in Australasia behind Makybe Diva ($14,526,685) and Sunline ($11,351,607).
Testa Rossa gelding Ranger comes to Melbourne having won six of his 19 starts, his best win being the Group Two Lee Steere Stakes (1400m) at Ascot last November.
That followed his win in the Listed Northerly Stakes over the same course and distance the previous month.
Also the winner of the 2010 Listed WA St Leger (2100m), Ranger was runner-up to Playing God in the Group One Kingston Town Classic (1800m) and third to God Has Spoken in the Group Two CB Cox Stakes (2100m) last December before a break.
The five-year-old is prepared by Grant Williams for prominent WA owner-breeders Bob and Sandra Peters whose smart galloper Old Comrade upset Northerly in the 2002 Australian Cup.
Williams has engaged big-race rider Craig Williams for the mount in Saturday’s $125,000 event in which he drew the outside barrier in the 15-horse field.
“The barrier hasn’t helped us but he’s a get-back runner anyway so the barrier is not too much of a worry as he can go back and get into it late,” the trainer said.
Ranger will go on to the Group Two St George Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on February 25 and then have a crack at the $1 million Group One Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 10.
He was beaten a head when runner-up to dual Kingston Town Stakes winner Playing God in a 1000m barrier trial at Ascot on Monday.
“The trial switched him on a bit,” Williams said.
“If the real horse turns up I think he has the ability to win.”
Ranger has firmed from $5.50 to $4 favouritism with TAB Sportsbet ahead of Shout Out Loud at $6.50, Vivid Vixen, who has come in from $10 to $7.50, Shadowfax at $8, At The Heads at $9.50 and Green Moon who has firmed from $18 to $10.
AAP TURF
