Catch A Wave - The Nullarbor Photo by Pacepix
CATCH A Wave is one of Australasia's best pacers, but trainer Andy Gath knows him well enough to tread warily ahead of his first-up run at Melton on Saturday night.
It seems a strange thing to say about the five-year-old, who has won 22 races, including six at Group 1 level, and banked almost $2 million.
"He's that sort of horse, he's always a risk first-up," Gath said. "His trial was good, and we've upped his work at home since. He seems pretty forward, but I've thought that before and he'd been found out."
"To be honest, we're always guessing a bit with him first-up. We're as keen as anyone to see how he goes. It'll give us a line as to where he's at with his first big target (the $150,000 Group 1 Len Smith Mile) a month away."
"He's off the back row (Saturday night), and there are some nice horses drawn off the front. Look at last week, Perfect Class was favourite in the free-for-all from the back row, ran his last mile in 1min52.5sec, and still got beaten. It's never easy from the back."
Catch A Wave didn't have a long break. His last run was one of the best of his career to win the Group 1 Fremantle Cup at Gloucester Park on April 26.
It came a week after the gelding scored the richest win of his career in the $1.25mil Group 1 Nullarbor, also at Gloucester Park.
"The Perth trip was fantastic, and we only planned it late," Gath said.
"He had a little setback and missed the Miracle Mile and then there wasn't much for him, so we did the deal with Rob (Tomlinson) for a slot in the Nullarbor."
"We're so glad we did. It was a chance to run for some fantastic prize money in two big races and not have to take on Leap To Fame."
"The more big races we can run in without Leap To Fame against us, the better."
And that's why the meticulous planner Gath has Catch A Wave back racing now.
"We knew Leap To Fame wasn't going to the Len Smith Mile, and Catch A Wave's won a Miracle Mile up there (Menangle), so it seemed a logical target," he said.
"The scoreline is 2-1 in Leap To Fame's favour against us, and we'd happily leave it at that, but we'll obviously have to clash in some of the biggest races going ahead. The less the better when you see how great a horse he is."
Their fourth clash – and probably only other clash this year - will almost certainly be in the $300,000 Group 1 Victoria Cup at Melton on October 12.
It's the race Catch A Wave beat Leap To Fame in last year, albeit by a whisker, when he finished second to Act Now and Leap To Fame was third.
Leap To Fame has comprehensively beaten Catch A Wave in their other two clashes in last year's TAB Eureka and the Hunter Cup earlier this year.
Gath said Saturday night could be the first of three lead-up races for Catch A Wave ahead of the Len Smith Mile.
"He'll have at least another one after this, but I'm leaning towards two more," he said. "The timing allows it. He could run this week, have two weeks between runs and then run the two Saturdays ahead of the Len Smith."
"It's too early to say. We really do make plans with him as we go, according to where we think he's at."
"You can be sure he'll run the week before the Len Smith because all of his biggest wins have come when he had a race the week before."
