Just like Murraguldrie’s appetite, the possibilities for the in-form country galloper are endless.
Murraguldrie chases a hat-trick of wins at Canterbury on Wednesday as he tries to advance his claims for a start in a race that has significance for his trainer Rob Potter.
Potter trains out of a private complex between Yass and Canberra and Murraguldrie has emerged as a surprise packet of his team as well as a champion eater.
“He eats everything and he’ll even lick the tin. An amazing doer,” Potter said.
Murraguldrie arrived at Capricorn Park with an uncertain future after a tendon injury put him out of racing for 14 months.
An injured fetlock left him sidelined for another 10 months but Murraguldrie is now seven runs into a campaign that has resulted in Orange and Canterbury wins at his past two starts.
“He will probably go to the paddock after this but not for the reason he is tired,” Potter said.
“There are a lot of races down the track if he does go alright tomorrow.”
The one that is at the forefront of Potter’s mind is the National Sprint, a support race to the Black Opal Stakes on Canberra’s most important day of racing.
“I don’t know if he can get any better but I really don’t know where the bottom of him is,” Potter said.
“He’s the type of horse you could freshen up and he would sprint well in a race like the National Sprint and you’d like to have your horses there on their biggest day.”
Frenchman Thomas Huet continues an association with Murraguldrie that started with another jockey’s misfortune.
Brendan Ward was supposed to be on Murraguldrie at Orange but he became indisposed after riding in the first three races.
“We just picked Thomas out of who was in the (jockeys’) room and he sort of clicked with him straight away because the horse exploded that day,” Potter said.
Huet had the mount again when Murraguldrie overcame a wide passage to win over 1900m at Canterbury – the same course for the Cellarbrations Handicap.
Murraguldrie’s stablemate Secret Lies will also make the trip to Sydney, bringing a piece of provincial form Potter expects to serve her well in the Hyland Race Colours Handicap.
