News

Secret's out on Newmarket plunge

24th Feb 2009

Herald Sun - Adam Hamilton - Tuesday, 24 February 2009

VICTORIA'S most improved sprinter Secret Flyer is right on target to land bets at odds as long as 150-1 in the Newmarket Handicap.

Trainer Mark Young said the handicap conditions really suited the five-year-old, who defied a leader bias to demolish a handy field at Moonee Valley on Friday night.

Young revealed an anonymous punter had called him in the lead-up to the Valley meeting inquiring about Secret Flyer's progress after a recent setback.

"The guy said he wanted to know if the horse was OK because he'd backed him at 150-1 for the Newmarket. He's into $12 now," Young said.

"I'm sure a few of his owners would have taken the big odds as well. That's part of the fun of having a good horse."

Secret Flyer took a low-key path towards Saturday week's 1200m Newmarket at Flemington because of a minor injury."

He had a flesh wound which was nothing serious because it required some treatment," Young said.

"Given where he was at, a 1000m race at Moonee Valley looked the perfect stepping-stone to the Newmarket."

Secret Flyer showed promise in three runs during the spring, but Young said a short break after that had helped take the gelding to another level.

"I knew as soon as he started working seriously again, he'd improved out of sight," he said.

"He's a late maturer who has just kept improving.

"The Newmarket is a race we picked out a long time ago because it is a handicap, not a weight-for-age race, and he'll probably get in with about 52.5 or 53kg.

"He's also shown us since he really likes racing down the straight at Flemington."

Watching Saturday's Oakleigh Plate did nothing to diminish Young's confidence Secret Flyer would be very competitive in the Newmarket.

"They look to be an even bunch and the handicap conditions of the Newmarket mean the best three sprinters in the land won't be in it," Young said.

Lee Freedman is still not committing to a Newmarket start for exciting three-year-old Time Thief.

"He's come through the tough run in the Australia Stakes (third to Apache Cat) well, but we haven't done much with him since," he said.

"There's no rush to decide. He'll either run in the Newmarket or a $200,000 race for three-year-olds (Yallambee Classic) on the same weekend."

(Photo by Slickpix Photgrapghy)