Trainer Lloyd Kennewell has bigger autumn goals in mind for Loud Charlie after his breakthrough victory at Sandown.
Having his second race start, Loud Charlie took out the Thoroughbred Club Of Australia Plate (1300m) on Wednesday and Kennewell is already dreaming big with the Melbourne Autumn Carnival fast approaching.
“I’m still not sure if he’s the full version of himself yet,” Kennewell said.
“Does he get to an Australian Guineas, I don’t know, but the CS Hayes Stakes (at Flemington on February 14) is potentially next, but I want to make sure he pulls up good first and then work out where we go with him, but he’s pretty promising.”
Ridden by Jamie Mott, Loud Charlie ($3.50) scored by a length from Saludar ($6) with the $2.70 favourite The Benchmark a further three-quarters-of-a-length away third.
Loud Charlie finished a debut third behind Asakura at Terang on January 2 and Kennewell said he took a lot of heart from that galloper’s victory at Geelong on Monday.
“I was trying to work out how he got beaten at Terang and then on Monday we saw the formline come through with Mitch Freedman’s horse (Asakura) winning easily and it looks a promising horse,” Kennewell said.
“He (Loud Charlie) has been a work in progress and Ethan Brown did a bit of work on him and really liked him. He was meant to ride him but got suspended and Jamie was the lucky recipient of that.”
Kennewell said that while Loud Charlie had been showing promise when galloping on the track, he had been letting his trainer down when produced at the jump-outs and trials.
It wasn’t until Loud Charlie got on a firm surface in a trial at Cranbourne last month that Kennewell saw the true ability of the gelding.
“He struggled going through the gears,” Kennewell said.
“He would gallop really well on the training tracks, but in his jump-outs he was letting me down and also on wet tracks.
“We get a lot of wet tracks at Cranbourne. We tried him out the back a few times and he wouldn’t finish off, but when I took him to Caulfield this prep, he trialled up really good and I knew we were right to go.
“I think a mile in time, but I don’t know how much further.
“He can be a little bit keen in the run, but good horses adapt, but I elected to push forward today looking for that victory.”
