News

Trainer set to beat the odds with barrier rogue

23rd Jun 2011

Racenet - Clinton Payne - Thursday, 23 June 2011

One of Australia’s most talented sprinters is set to be reinstated to race if stewards pass the galloper in a barrier trial on Friday.

Here De Angels, now trained at Goulburn by Wendy Roche, is a multiple stakes winner that has won more than $700,000 in prizemoney but in October last year the gelding was barred by stewards due to his barrier antics.

The horse’s owners subsequently sold the son of Dehere, who was knocked down to NSW Southern Highlands vet John Crowley for $82,000 at the Inglis Victorian Racehorse Sale.

Crowley purchased the wayward talent knowing he had to trial twice, consecutively, to stewards satisfaction before any chance of a return to the races was on the cards.

At Goulburn on June 10 the first piece of the puzzle was completed without a hitch.

Click here to view the trial.

On Friday, Roche will venture to Canberra with the rising eight-year-old to complete the requirements of stewards in a 900 metre trial.

"When we got him in November he wouldn’t go anywhere near the barriers at all but a lot of hard work has seen things change dramatically and everything went perfect at Goulburn,” Roche said.

Roche used Here De Angels’ appetite to get into his head in her attempts to overcome the gelding’s issues with the barriers.

"We put a set of barriers in the yard and tied a feed bin at the front of them and made him go into them to eat,” she said.

"I eventually shut the back of the barriers and made him stand in there while he was eating.

After that we started taking him to Goulburn every time they raced and put him in the barriers to get used to the raceday experience.

"He went in every jump-out as well, so he wouldn’t get a fright and we would know how to handle him and there’s been no signs of the dramas.

"It has virtually taken seven months to get him relaxed and comfortable around the gates.”

Roche said if Here De Angels is passed on Friday the horse is likely to resume in an upcoming winter feature.

"We’d like to take him to the Ramornie if everything is ok,” she said. "If we go Jeff Penza will ride him.

"I’ve found Jeff to be a real horse person.

"He’s a calm and relaxed bloke that listens to what I have to say, so he and the horse get on fine.

"Fingers crossed now.”