Cousins targets Sydney with The Inflictor

By Glenn Davis

Self-confessed battler Craig Cousins has decided to skip a first-up return for his star sprinter The Inflictor in the Listed Ascot Handicap at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Instead, Cousins will make a road trip to Sydney on Thursday night with The Inflictor for the Group 3 Hall Mark Stakes over 1200 metres at Randwick on the same day.

Cousins nominated The Inflictor for both features which are over different distances.

He believes his five-year-old will be better suited over 1200 metres in a Group race in Sydney rather than the 1000 metre dash in the Ascot Handicap.

“He’s the sixth best rated horse in Sydney and 1200 metres there suits him a lot better than Brisbane,” Cousins said.

“The Ascot is a very strong race but with the Tony Gollan factor (five nominations) and a couple of others, he looks better placed in Sydney.”

The Inflictor - a Chad Schofield mount - tuned up for his first-up Sydney assignment with a dominant win in a Doomben barrier trial last week.

“He had a jump-out at Deagon then won a trial at Doomben, so I couldn’t be happier with the way he’s going,” Cousins said.

“Kyle Wilson-Taylor rode him in his trial win and he told me the horse was flying when he jumped off."

The Inflictor hasn’t started since finishing ninth in the Listed Five Diamonds at Rosehill in November which followed a brave third to the Tony Gollan-trained Group 1 champion Transatlantic in the Five Diamonds Prelude at Randwick in October.

Although The Inflictor is yet to win in five first-up appearances, he’s placed in all attempts.

“He got smashed at the start in his first run at Rosehill in October then it was a great run to finish third in the Diamond Prelude at Randwick last campaign,” Cousins said.

“Then I stepped him up to 1800 metres for the first time in the Five Diamonds last start bit it proved to be too far.”

Cousins has been training since 1996 and still drives a truck while preparing a stable of three.

“I just started a new job about a month ago but I’m still driving trucks delivering feed and hay,” he said.

“The new job is a good as it fits in better with my training hours.”

Cousins has had some smart sprinters during his career, but none have reached the heights of The Inflictor who put Cousins’ name up in lights by winning The Gateway at Eagle Farm in December of 2024.

The Gateway win automatically qualified The Inflictor for last year’s Stradbroke Handicap in which he finished 11th, less than five lengths from winner War Machine.

“He’s up in class where it hurts these days, but I can’t fault him so he should race well,” Cousins said.

“He’ll come home on Sunday and will get ready for The Archer in Rockhampton and hopefully the Kingsford Smith Cup and Stradbroke in the winter.”