Awapuni trainer Mike Breslin went within a horse’s neck of winning the Hawke’s Bay Cup three years ago so victory by Crouch in last Saturday’s time-honoured event was just deserving for him and also Napier racehorse owner Roy Potter.

Breslin has had a trainer’s licence for more than 30 years and has won most of the Central Districts regional Cup races.

But a Wellington Cup has so far eluded him and so had a Hawke’s Bay Cup until Crouch scored a 1-3/4 length win in last Saturday’s 2200m event, run on the Otaki track.

“I haven’t had a lot of runners in the Hawke’s Bay Cup but I remember Colorado Star finished a close third two years ago behind a Te Akau runner, who was the favourite,” Breslin said this week.

Senior jockey Jonathan Roiddell was aboard Colorado Star that day and they looked set for victory when he kicked his mount to a clear lead early in the home straight. But they were run down in the shadows of the post by race-favourite Fierce Flight and Pinion, going down by a nose and a short neck.

Crouch is one of the stable favourites amongst the 30 horses Breslin has in work and it is not hard to see why.

Last Saturday was the horse’s first success in a Cup race but he has been runner-up in the last two runnings of the Group 3 Wellington Cup (3200m) at Trentham and an unlucky fifth in last year’s New Zealand Cup (3200m) at Riccarton.

Crouch carries the colours of Napier-based Roy Potter, who has bred and raced thoroughbreds for numerous years and has built up a close association with Breslin.

They race Crouch together and the Tarzino six-year-old has recorded seven wins and six minor placings from 34 starts and has won them more than $142,000 in stakemoney.

“Roy has been one of my most loyal clients. We’ve been good mates for a long time and he has always been easy to train horses for,” Breslin said.

“I have basically bought a yearling for him every year since I’ve known him and we’ve ended up racing most of them together.”

While Crouch is the most successful horse they have raced together, Revolt, Pleasing and Intention are others who have performed well in recent years.

Revolt recorded a win, a second and a third from nine starts before he was sold to Hong Kong.

Pleasing has chalked up two wins and four seconds from 12 starts and won an 850m Foxton trial at the beginning of this month while Intention won the Group 2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) at Trentham last December and has also finished third in both the Listed Wellesley Stakes (1100m) at Trentham and Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton.

“I’ve now bought another yearling at Karaka this year for Roy, a filly by Sword Of State out of a So You think mare called Thinkyoucandance,” Breslin said.

The purchase price for that filly was $50,000.

Crouch was a $20,000 purchase by Breslin from the 2021 Karaka yearling sales and is named after former Liverpool and English international football player Peter Crouch.

The tough stayer was a lucky pick up ride for jockey Chris Dell in last Saturday’s Hawke’s Bay Cup after original rider Erin Leighton had to forgo the mount after becoming unwell.

Dell was having his first race day ride on the gelding but followed Breslin’s instructions to the letter.

He settled the horse midfield in the early stages but then let him roll forward to sit outside the leader entering the last 900m and pressed on to challenge for the lead coming to the home turn.

Opawa Jack went to the front early in the home straight but Crouch quickly gathered him in and raced away over the final stages for a decisive win. 

“He is not a horse who can sit and sprint,” Breslin said.

“He’s a good staying horse with incredibly good lung capacity. He can maintain a strong gallop for a long period of time and that’s what I told Chris before the race.”

Breslin now has an Australian campaign in mind for Crouch and has earmarked him for two races in Victoria over the next month.

“I’ll see how the horse does over the next few days but, at this stage, we are looking to go there,” Breslin said.

The two races ae the Listed A$300,000 Andrew Ramsden Stakes (2800m) at Flemington on May 17 and the A$175,000 Sandown Cup (3200m) at Sandown on May 31.

“The Flemington race is likely to draw a strong field as it is a qualifying race for the Melbourne Cup but the Sandown Cup should be a bit weaker and, being over 3200 metres, it looks ideal for him,” Breslin added.

“He can go there and then come home and have a month in the paddock and then we can aim him at the Wellington Cup in January again.”

Although five of Crouch’s wins have been on heavy tracks Breslin thinks, as the horse has got older, he prefers tracks where he can just get his toe into the ground and he is hoping he can strike such footing in Australia.

Balcombe HB Racing CEO again

Darin Balcombe has been appointed the official Chief Executive of Hawke’s Bay Racing for the next year.

He has been the interim CEO of the club since the resignation of Aaron Hamilton in January last year and this will be his second official term in the position after a two and a half year stint between 2020 and 2022.

He said this week the position is on a yearly contract basis.

Balcombe recently held the position of General Manager of Special Projects for New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing.

He is also a former stipendiary steward and once held the position of Racing Operations Manager of the Race Group.

Spark sold to Australian interests

Talented Hastings-trained three-year-old Spark has been sold to Australian interests and will do her future racing from the Hayes brothers’ stable in Victoria.

The Time Test filly, prepared by Guy Lowry and Leah Zydenbos, was an impressive last start winner over 1000m at Tauherenikau on March 22 and has only had four starts for a win, two seconds and a fourth.

She was owned by Guy Lowry, who bred her from the No Excuse Needed mare Flare.

Flare was unplaced in her only race start but has been a successful broodmare, with her other progeny including Candle (five wins) and Flaming Torch and Flashlight, who have both been winners in Australia.

Hit and run mission by She’s A Dealer

Cambridge trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood are on a hit and run mission

With Group 1 winning mare She’s A Dealer in this Saturday’s Group 3 Japan Racing Association Plate (2000m) at Randwick.

The mare was flown to Sydney on Monday and has settled in well according to Roger James.

“This is a hit and run mission to target some Australian black-type and I think that will be far enough this campaign. She's booked on the plane home on Sunday.”

The daughter of Ace High was a strong last start winner of the Group 1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Trentham and has been allocated 56.5kgs in a field that will feature a number of battle-hardened geldings.

Meanwhile, a good hit-out at the Cambridge trials on Tuesday has three-year-old stablemate Confesara back on target for a South Australian raid.

“Confesara had a little bit of a hiccup in her build-up towards the Australasian Oaks in two weeks’ time but I think that trial would bring her right back on track,” James said.

“She's looking to go 2000m now and, if she comes through the trial okay, she'll be on a plane next Tuesday.”

Single Red on an Oaks mission

The Andrew Forsman-trained Single Red will be targeted at the Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) at Eagle Farm on June 6.

The talented daughter of Vanbrugh was back in action at the Cambridge trials on Tuesday for her first public outing since finishing third in the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) won by Ohope Wins on February 21.

That formline was franked following Ohope Wins victory in the Group 1 Australian Oaks (2400m) last Saturday and Forsman believes his charge will be much better suited to the reduced distance of the Queensland Oaks.

“She closed well for second in her trial behind To Cap It All and we weren’t too worried about the result, but it was still a pleasing outing and nice to see her stretch out as she did,” Forsman said.

“She’s come off a little freshen up after not having a race for a while, so we just didn't want to go to the races when she resumes too fresh and above herself.”

Raced by OTI Racing in conjunction with breeder Ben Kwok, Single Red quickly advanced from maiden grade in January to finish runner-up to Ohope Wins in the David & Karyn Ellis Classic (2100m) before her Oaks placing.

“She went to the paddock for a few weeks straight after the Oaks, which she needed as we asked a lot of her in a short space of time,” Forsman said.

“She just didn't quite run the 2400m of the New Zealand Oaks out as strongly as we would have liked, but it was still a very good run.”

Single Red will now step out in a three-year-old set weights and penalties race over 1600m at Te Rapa on April 25 as she looks to confirm a trip to Queensland.

“If she runs well enough, we'll be off to Brisbane,” Forsman said.

“The Queensland Oaks is a Group 1 over 2200m, which is why we've targeted it.”