Captain Fenkel primed for distance test

By Glenn Davis

Gold Coast trainer Marcus Wilson believes Captain Fenkel is primed to make a successful step up in distance when the four-year-old tackles the Class 3 Handicap at Eagle Farm on Wednesday.

Captain Fenkel received topweight of 62kgs in the Class 3 Handicap over 1800 metres.

He will be out to redeem himself after an unlucky second to the Rex Lipp-trained El Pensador in a 1690 metre Class 3 Plate at Ipswich last start.

Wilson has booked apprentice Cobi Vitler to offset the gelding’s massive weight.

“He’s got a bit of weight, but he gets in well at the weights for Cobi’s claim,” Wilson said.

“He’s got a good draw in gate one and going to 1800 metres shouldn’t worry him even though we tested him as a stayer as a three-year-old.

“Time will tell whether he can run 2000 metres. He didn’t get it earlier in his career but he’s a lot stronger and more mature now and he’s bred to stay.

“He’s deep into his prep and he was a bit unlucky not to win at Ipswich when he hit a flat spot, but he was strong to the line.”

Captain Fenkel was tried as a stayer during last year’s Queensland Racing Carnival and finished last in the Group 3 Rough Habit Plate at Eagle Farm.

“He didn’t show he could stay last year so we marked him down as a 1600 metre horse,” Wilson said.

“He’s stakes-placed and has run second at Randwick in a Benchmark race.

“There was no grand final for him this winter as I felt he was a good Benchmark horse but there weren’t many Benchmark races around for him this year.

“He ran second in the Ballina Cup last prep then won well first-up at Ipswich, but his first run back took a bit out of him when he failed at the Gold Coast.

“Then we were forced to run him in the Listed Spear Chief in town and he wasn’t disgraced.”

Wilson believes Vitler, a former NSW apprentice, will suit Captain Fenkel.

“Cobi is a good young rider and has ridden a lot of winners since he decided to come north,” Wilson said.

Vitler posted 55 victories in regional NSW through the 2023-24 season and is currently striking at just over 11% this season.