Victorian trainer Adrian McGregor will be chasing his first stakes success with Approach Discreet in the McKell Cup.
Adrian Mcgregor has been one of racing’s journeymen but his latest chapter as a trainer might yield his biggest achievement to date when Approach Discreet lines up in the Listed McKell Cup.
An all-round horseman and former amateur rider, McGregor has trained before but gave it away for several years before deciding to dip his toe in again and renew his licence earlier this season.
He needed a horse to kick start the venture so he went online shopping and stumbled across former Darren Weir and Mick Kent-trained gelding Approach Discreet.
“When I decided to start training again he was the first horse I bought,” McGregor said.
“I paid about $11,000 for him. ‘Weiry’ had him early and he’s always had a bit of a spruik on him, he was in the market for the Derby as a three-year-old.
“He was a $300,000 or $400,000 yearling so he is a cracking type.
“He takes a bit of managing, he’s got little bits and pieces you have to keep on top of, but in a 10-horse stable he gets 24-7 treatment.”
Always Discreet has been a stalwart for McGregor’s Cranbourne operation winning two of his 10 starts for the stable, including a Rosehill victory over McKell Cup fancy Parry Sound on a heavy track in November.
He is likely to get similar conditions on Saturday and has been building nicely towards the assignment with a closing last-start third to Mubariz over 1800m.
McGregor believes the horse is the best he has been all preparation and cannot fault him.
“Our horse is on the way up, he’s fourth-up, gets to 2000 (metres), soft track, 53 (kilos), K McEvoy, barrier five. We can’t do any more for him, put it that way,” he said.
“He has been on the soft side all the way along but now he’s right where I want him. His weight is right where it was when he was winning last prep.
“The only thing against him now is whether he’s up to open company.
“I’ve got no doubt he is personally. I love the horse, he’s honest and he never puts in a bad run.”
McGregor has produced a handful of stakes placegetters in his previous incarnations as a trainer but Always Discreet would be his first stakes winner.
He will be up against the might of Chris Waller, who will have up to five runners in his quest to win the McKell Cup for the first time.
