An ownership dispute almost cost Craig Carmody the chance to train Saturday’s Rosehill winner Single, who looks like developing into a banner horse for the former star jockey.
Carmody picked Single out at the yearling sales and he was bought for $25,000 but after doing all the early groundwork, a disagreement among the syndicate of owners resulted in the gelding going back through the sale ring.
“Two of the original six members of the syndicate wanted out,” Carmody said.
“He had to go back through the sales.
“He hadn’t started (in a race) but he was showing ability and I’d put a lot of time and effort into the horse.
“I didn’t want to lose him.”
Geoff Grimish, who raced the likes of Group One winner Shellscrape, came to the rescue and $60,000 later the gelding was back with Carmody.
Single is already repaying his dues with his impressive win in the Blackwoods Macnaught Handicap (1500m) taking his prizemoney to just under $100,000 from six starts.
Connections will now consider whether to run him in a benchmark race at Warwick Farm in two weeks or take the plunge and enter him in the Group Two Villiers Stakes (1600m) at the meeting.
“We’ll discuss whether or not we go that way,” Carmody said.
Best known as the regular rider of multiple Group One winner Intergaze, Carmody has only been training a few years and has half a dozen horses in work.
Single showed early potential then was spelled after a midfield effort in the Queensland Derby in June.
Starting the $3.90 favourite on Saturday, Single settled a couple of lengths off the speed and Nathan Berry navigated a path through the middle to get the four-year-old to the post 1-1/4 lengths ahead of Rolling Pin ($6.50).
“He’s taken time. He was a bit fizzy early and ahead of himself at times,” Carmody said of Single.
“But I think his better days are before him.”
Meanwhile, top jockey Hugh Bowman was stood down from his remaining rides after winning the second event on Dynamic Honour.
Bowman, who took a tumble at Hawkesbury races on Thursday, was sent home by the club doctor due to back pain.
AAP TURF
