By Isaac Murphy
Farmor Beach’s resume speaks for itself.
A Group 3 Vince Curry and Group 2 Ipswich Cup winner, Group 2 Queensland Derby runner-up and Group 1 Golden Easter Egg finalist makes him some sort of race dog, but it hasn’t always been a smooth ride for he and trainer Wayne Scott, as he continues to search for his brilliant best ahead of the Group 1 Brisbane Cup.
The dog has had three runs back after spending six weeks in Sydney and although he’s been far from disgraced in top company, Scott says the time is now to find his best.
“The dog’s going as good as he’s ever gone, he’s just having no luck; he ran a brilliant second a fortnight ago when he looked like he was getting some confidence back then got chopped in half when the lids came up last week - it’s one step forward one back at the moment,” Scott said.
“If he wants to be a genuine chance come Brisbane Cup time, he really needs to draw a box or find a race in the next few weeks he can win, or else I don’t think he’ll be as competitive as we’d hoped.
“We’re not racing Fifth Graders anymore, we’re up with the big boys where there’s not much between them every week, the tides will change I just hope it happens sooner rather than later.”
It was a gruelling Golden Easter Egg campaign for Scott and his charge; he made the drive for six weeks straight only to come up short in the Final.
“The dog’s done really well to come back from Sydney and be as forward as he’s been, it takes a toll the number of times we drove back and forward down there,” Scott said.
“I was so proud of him making that Easter Egg Final, he was never at his best down there, but he found a way to hang in every week and make an exclusive Final.
“I thought things may have turned for him in the Final when he came up with the red, but he didn’t quite get it right and against those dogs the race is over by the first turn.”
Scott is seeing flashes of Farmor Beach’s best but is reluctant to try anything dramatic given the upcoming races.
“The signs are there, first week back racing at Albion when Kooringa Lucy ran him down she went 12.67 home, a week later she ran the same time, and he was taking lengths off her and she’s a 34.6 bitch over the 600,” he said.
“There were a few little things we were considering trying with him like giving him a 500 on a Monday night and backing up Thursday, but he was out-graded on a Monday and I didn’t want to throw him in 395 metres.
“If he can keep going in the right direction with his run homes, the 600 might be his go after the Carnival - he’s probably not built for it but he’s that tough I reckon he’d run it out.”