Time away from the racetrack will be the making of Eye Of The Needle but trainer Keith Dryden sees no reason why the unfurnished galloper won’t continue his winning run on Wednesday.
“Certainly he’s got some ability, he’s a nice horse but I think it will be another six months before he’s fully mature,” Dryden said.
Eye Of The Needle will be trying for back-to-back city wins when he lines up in theraces.com.au Handicap (1250m) at Canterbury.
Dryden, who has been holidaying in the Northern Territory, concedes it’s an afterthought race but a lead-up gallop in his absence has convinced the stable to press on for one more start ahead of a spell.
“He worked on Saturday morning and he galloped really well,” Dryden said.
“My first feeling was to put him out after he won at Randwick but his work suggests he has come on again.”
Nash Rawiller was in the saddle when Eye Of The Needle landed a $5.50 to $4.60 betting move on a heavy-rated Kensington track at Randwick on June 13.
But the heavyweight rider has experienced an uncharacteristic lean trot since and he will take a four-meeting losing streak on city tracks into Canterbury.
His run of outs continued with Squamosa in the Takeover Target Stakes at Gosford and was accentuated by the defeats of short-priced favourites Daintree Road and Scarf at Rosehill on Saturday.
Dismissing Rawiller’s riding woes, Dryden said: “You still wouldn’t want too many other jockeys riding your horse.
“I don’t have to give him instructions. He knows the form and how the tracks are racing.”
Eye Of The Needle came from worse than midfield to win at Randwick and Dryden says the victory has added another dimension to the horse’s repertoire.
“It’s important for the horse to learn about how to race as much as possible and the fact he won from behind was pleasing,” Dryden said.
From a limited number of starters, Eye Of The Needle has been Dryden’s only Sydney winner this season.
“They have all raced consistently when I’ve taken them to Sydney without winning,” he said.
“I like to let my horses race their way through the classes so they can learn what racing is all about.”
Eye Of The Needle has opened the $4.40 favourite in TAB Sportsbet markets.
Rawiller, who is 16-1/2 wins in front of Corey Brown in the race for the 2010-11 Sydney jockeys’ title, has rides in seven of the eight races on Wednesday.
AAP TURF
