Mark Saal's rookies on show

By Josh Spasaro

Babs Kramer won just the one race, but she can throw a good-looking chaser.

She has four promising litter siblings to start in the QGOLD Rookies heats at Q1 Lakeside on Thursday night.

By Aussie Infrared, Sin City Sister, Mr. Bookman, Fragile Frankie and Jimmy Legs are all 20 months old and engaged for Mark Saal.

The Toowoomba trainer said he thought their broodbitch, Babs Kramer, would make a good dam despite saluting in just one start from 30 appearances.

He wasn’t wrong.

“She’d trial you anything. She only won one race, but she made a Gold Cup Final,” Saal said.

“She did her hip and was scratched. She made a Group 1 Final with just one win. But, she’d run on all day. She was only just getting warm over 700 metres. She was a bit slow early, hence just the one win.

“She was always running up bums, but very fast. That’s why I’ve bred out of her.”

A Barcia Bale bitch, Babs Kramer was also blessed with good looks.

“Beautiful thing. One of the most outstanding-looking things you’d ever see when she was in work,” Saal said.

“I’m standing here looking at her right now. She knows I’m talking about her.”

Saal said last-start winner Fragile Frankie – with five starts – had his good looks passed down to him by his dam.

Fragile Frankie will start the QGOLD Rookies heat three over 457 metres from box two.

“He’s beautiful. He’s an outstanding-looking individual. He might make something down the track in a few months,” he said.

“I’m hoping he’ll just keep improving and he might be handy down the track in two or three months when they get a bit more mature. But, he’s going along good.”

Fragile Frankie might have a strong heart to go with his good looks.

He held off Hara’s Ghost for Jemma Daley and prevailed by three-quarters-of-a-length last start, also over 457 metres, at Q1 Lakeside on November 9.

“He did well. They start off pretty young, so they’ve done well,” Saal said. 

“He’ll be a little bit better for the run, but he’s got good early speed. That’s his biggest attribute.

“The rest of the litter doesn’t jump that good, whereas he does.”

However, Saal conceded his juvenile chaser would have his work cut out.

“I think he’s drawn the hardest heat. That dog of Tony Zammit’s, he looks something out of the box, Neame,” he said.

“He ran 21.40 seconds over 390 metres, so he’ll be very hard to beat. And, I think Travis Elson has got a bit of an opinion of the one alley (Best Edition), as well.

“But, he’ll race well. He’s good early, so he’s a chance. But, I definitely think it’s the toughest heat.”

Jimmy Legs drew box six for heat four with his one win from eight races coming last start at the Capalaba straight last Wednesday.

There, he overcame some early congestion to salute by five-and-three-quarters of a length.

“He’s got a fair bit of ability. But, he’s a very bad box dog,” Saal said.

“He was last and he still won by six. The time was ordinary, but the effort was there.

“But, I think he could make a stayer. His early trial run-home times were really good. He’s a chance of being a stayer down the track, like his mother. That’s where his aim will be.”

Sin City Sister and Mr. Bookman will start the first and second QGOLD Rookie heats, respectively, at Q1 Lakeside on Thursday night.

“Mr. Bookman’s had no luck. He wants the fence and he keeps drawing box six and seven on the circle,” Saal said.

“He just lives in box six and seven. The little bitch (Sin City Sister) is a bit behind them, but she’ll run on. But, they’re young. 

“I just hope they race well and I might get one, maybe two through to next week.”

The QGOLD Rookies Final will be on the opening night of the Queensland Golden Greys Summer Racing Carnival at The Q on December 13.