Young local QLD trainer Ben Ahrens has got Spechenka back to good form this prep and he will be heading to the 3200m BMAG QUEENS CUP at Eagle Farm this Saturday.
A couple of seasons ago he was the most promising stayer in Queensland. Around Christmas 2010 he won the Summer Cup (2400m) at Randwick in impressive fashion. In July 2011 he then won the Caloundra Cup (2400m) and went on to run a good race in the Grafton Cup (2400m).
We probably didn’t see the best of him last prep and he can be a hard horse to manage I believe, but Ben has seen glimpse of the horses best this time in work, including a good 4th beaten 1.4L in the Chairman’s at Doomben.
Nobody knows the horse better than Ahrens so I thought we should get his opinion on where the horse is at. “We were a little disappointed in the end. He loomed up (in the Caloundra Cup) and looked like he was going to figure in the finish, was perfectly ridden and even got to the right part of the track but floundered a little bit and Winmara picked him up late. We may try a tongue tie on him this week and Ryan Wiggins felt the horse didn’t really appreciate the track but I don’t think that is a great excuse for the horse. The 3200m and a drier track may do the job.”
Ahrens was also saying he had just jumped off the horse and he was as bright as a button and he had come through last week’s race really well.
The 3200m race this weekend can throw up a rough results and has been run at every different tempo over the last decade or so. Spechenka does look as though he will run the trip and he should be the best of the local chances. I for one won’t be selling him short.
There are about 16 horses in Ahrens stable (a lot of juveniles). He does however have a couple of handy horses with exposed form including Marculoo who he feels can run well at the midweeks today, and also Hay Jemmily who things didn’t go right for at Toowoomba but who can run well again soon.
For more on Ben Ahrens check out his website :
