A victory by Kiwi raider Indikator in Saturday’s Listed Winter Cup at Rosehill would almost certainly put paid to trainer Keith Opie’s days of travelling across the Tasman.
Indikator has raced in Australia 13 times without winning but has notched placings in last year’s Group Two Tatt’s Cup at Eagle Farm and the 2009 Group Three Colin Stephen Quality at Randwick.
On each trip, Opie has travelled over with him but this time he has sent his wife Dale to oversee the gelding’s two-start assault.
If the pair return home with the Winter Cup trophy, Opie has little doubt he will be declared the jinx.
“Yeah, I will be,” Opie said.
“It might be me every time I bring him to Australia.”
Indikator has proven to be a superior wet tracker in New Zealand and has won eight of his 18 starts on slow or heavy ground.
But he has rarely had conditions to suit during his Australian sojourns.
With the Rosehill track in the heavy range, that won’t be the case on Saturday and Opie is looking forward to seeing what his charge can do.
“We’ve got no excuses,” Opie said.
“If he’s good enough, he’s good enough and if not, at least we know. We’ve got the weather on our side this time.”
One query hanging over Indikator is the 2400-metre journey.
He has not won at the trip, although he has been placed, and he has never tackled it on slow or heavy ground.
Opie has no doubts over Indikator’s stamina and believes the winner of 11 of his 50 starts is going better than ever this campaign.
“He’s never been a very good doer and even though he’s a seven-year-old, this year he’s come back and doesn’t leave anything,” Opie said.
“He wants to be a racehorse. And he wants to eat.”
In-form New Zealand apprentice Jason Collett will partner Indikator and Opie is rapt to have him on board.
Collett is on loan to trainer Chris Waller for three months and the 20-year-old underlined his promise at Randwick last Saturday when he rode a treble.
“Jason knows the horse a little bit from home, even though he hasn’t ridden him, and he’s travelling really well over there,” Opie said.
“He’s ridden quite a few winners for me at home. He’s an incredible kid.”
AAP TURF
