Progressive gelding favoured to continue progression at Saturday metro debut
Saturday’s final event at Rosehill is the biggest test of Cross Tasman’s career, but it is also an audition for bigger things later in the year.
The Super Seth four-year-old is a horse that Radwick trainers John O’Shea & Tom Charlton can see lining up in rich races next spring.
The gelding is after a hat-trick of wins to start the prep and Charlton keen to see how he performs at his first start in Saturday metro grade.
“Ideally, if everything goes to plan, he might be one we’ll try and qualify for The Big Dance,” he said.
“There could be a couple of options for him, country races to try and get them in that, and then we can maybe set our sights on the spring a bit more.”
Cross Tasman’s only win in four starts in his initial campaign came in a Hawkesbury Super Maiden, but his two starts this time in have realised wins in a 1250m BM64 on the Kensington track at Randwick and a 1300m BM72 win at Randwick on Boxing Day.
The NZ$260,000 Karaka purchase was scratched from last Saturday at Wyong due to the hot conditions and is likely to have contrasting conditions at Rosehill with rain predicted late Friday into Saturday.
Cross Tasman’s maiden win came on a Soft 7 surface, while his dam Daffodil won two of her three Group 1s on Soft tracks, including the ATC Oaks.
“He drew a bit sticky last Saturday in very hot conditions and we didn’t feel that was the right thing to do, so we elected to wait this weekend,” Charlton said.
“We thought he’d definitely get through the grades. I wouldn’t have said two starts for the prep for two wins, but he’s a very laid-back, unassuming horse at home.
“He doesn’t give too much away, which is not a bad thing.”
Cross Tasman drew barrier four in the TAB Handicap, for which he was a $1.95 favourite on Friday morning, and will have the services of Dylan Gibbons.
