Ben Ahrens trained Spechenka has finished off strongly along the inside of the fanning field to take out the Caloundra Cup at Sunshine Coast racecourse ahead of Gold In Dubai who stuck on strongly after leading the field and Tinseltown in third position.
Injury-prone stayer Spechenka put Beaudesert trainer Ben Ahrens back in the spotlight with a narrow victory in the Listed Caloundra Cup.
Spechenka, ridden by Ryan Wiggins, stormed home from last to deny Ipswich Cup winner Gold In Dubai another Cup victory by a short neck in Saturday’s 2400-metre feature.
Last year’s Caloundra Cup runner-up Tinseltown finished a head away third.
Ahrens, 32, conceded he had almost given up hope with Spechenka this campaign after the five-year-old suffered a horror run of injuries.
The son of Danachenka was originally being set for last month’s Group Two Brisbane Cup (2400m) at Eagle Farm before the wheels fell off his campaign.
“He’s had so many setbacks and we had to keep changing course with him,” Ahrens said.
“Thankfully we persevered.
“He wrenched his fetlock then had a blood abnormality in the first two setbacks.
“He then kicked out and cut his pastern and was kicked by another horse which required stitches.
“Then he was kicked again in another incident.”
Ahrens has been training for eight years after abandoning a career as a physiotherapist.
He was raised at Cedar Creek, midway between Beenleigh and Beaudesert, on his family’s 15 hectare farm and now has 14 horses in work.
His decision to throw in a physiotherapy career at Logan hospital, south of Brisbane, was rewarded when Spechenka won the Group Three Summer Cup (2400m) at Randwick last December.
Ahrens, who once worked with the British Olympic team, only showed an interest in thoroughbreds in his teenage years while playing rugby league.
But the heavy training schedule, repeated injuries and the discovery of his local TAB helped with his decision to hang up the boots at age 19.
Ahrens is now likely to change direction again with Spechenka and will aim him at the Listed Grafton Cup (2350m) on Thursday week.
“We were planning for the Queensland Cup but with all the problems he’s had he wouldn’t be right for 3200 metres,” he said.
The Spechenka story also had an unusual beginning as Ahrens’ strapper Debbie Argue bred the gelding.
“Debbie straps this horse and got the mother (Special Class) as a giveaway and bred from her,” Ahrens said.
Spechenka’s win was also a triumph for Wiggins who was riding on a stay of proceedings.
Queensland Racing stewards suspended Wiggins for 12 meetings after a recent urine sample tested positive to morphine and codeine.
Wiggins has appealed and claims the reading was the result of taking prescribed pain medication.
AAP TURF
