By Glenn Davis
Trainer Charlotte White expects flying machine Spurcraft will make full use of his rails draw to lead and hopefully win against a slick field in the Bat Out Of Hell at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
The 900 metre dash around the tight turning Gold Coast course is stacked with horses with plenty of gate speed.
White, who is a hobby trainer and deputy principal at Clifton High School on Queensland’s Darling Downs, expects her five-year-old to lead.
Howeever, she has warned he doesn’t need to take up the front running position.
“He’s got a very high cruising speed for a long distance which is good and from the barrier I expect he’ll lead,” White said.
“But he doesn’t have to lead as he’s proven in the past he can take a sit if something takes him on.”
Spurcraft is one of Queensland’s fastest short course specialists and is yet to miss a place in his 12-start career which has produced eight wins and four placings.
Among his scalps include the former top sprinter Tumbler, Mr Marbellouz and From Within.
Spurcraft hasn’t raced since beating subsequent Stakes winner Mr Marbellouz over 1110-metres at Doomben in mid-February.
The son of Jet Spur was still eligible for class four when White tested him in Stakes company last winter when he ran second in the Listed Cheer De Beers at Doomben 12 months ago.
“He’s coming along really well and won a jump out at Toowoomba a couple of weeks ago,” White said.
“He’s going just as good now as what he did last time he was in work. He’s relaxed and his work is very strong.”
White has ruled out stepping Spurcraft up beyond 1200 metres this campaign and won’t aim him for the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm in June 1.
“I don’t think he’d get 1400 metres at this stage of his career but he might with age so the Stradbroke might be on the cards next year,” she said.
“At this stage we’ve decided to keep him to the shorter sprints like the Chief De Beers and Lightning Handicaps.”
White has five horses in work but has several nice two-year-olds soon to enter her stables.
Spurcraft is the current $2.40 favourite in TAB fixed betting for the Bat Out Of Hell with the Toby Edmonds-trained Whypeeo next at $3.60.
Racing Queensland webnews May 3