Goulburn-trained galloper Huxton Creeper gets another look at his home track this Friday on the back of some up and coming offerings from just five starts.
His initial summer campaign showed nice early shoots with a debut win at Wagga and a top-three result at Moruya before heading to the paddock.
Tutored by Emma & Lucy Longmire atop the tablelands, the Mosayter gelding has continued the productive run of the stable with the family.
“We have had good success with the Mosayter breed (being a locally based stallion). They are quite quirky horses and this fellow is no exception.
"He was much sharper than most of the breed early on, they generally need time and do appreciate 1400m and beyond," Emma Longmire said.
South East form students would have noted his fast-finishing efforts in his past two contests over 1200m and 1300m respectively. Both of those efforts delivered a slice of top three prizemoney for connections and sets him up nicely for a first-time tilt at seven furlongs (1400m) on Friday in the Wymap Transport Class 1 Hcp.
"Huxton Creeper has been showing us that he’s been looking for these types of distances now, while we also feel he’s becoming more of a racehorse each time we step him out.”
Friday's race appeals to the stable as the right rein for him fourth up with regular hoop and stable apprentice Amy Mclucas taking the sit.
“It looks a lovely race for him on paper. We are excited to get him out to 1400m on the big spacious track.
"The blinkers going on for the first time might just switch him on a little bit more too. He’s just lost sight of the leaders mid-race his last couple before hitting the line better than anything.
"We are certainly buoyed by the fact Rosa Moysessi has won in town since finishing just off it at Goulburn two starts ago. Amy knows the horse like the back of her hand and he looks well in after her 2kg claim."
The Longmires also showcase two-year-old debutante Favours The Brave in Race 3, the Goulburn Mulwaree Council Hcp over 1000m, the son of Astern having only trialled once to date.
“He’s quite a professional two-year-old. We’ve given him time but he’s really come around this prep. We threw him into the deep end by sending him to Randwick for his first trial. He measured up in our opinion but we knew we had improvement left in him."
Whilst the stable is hopeful of some early inroads on debut for him thanks to some handy form references from his trial (think King of Sparta and The Maxinator), they also know there is no substitute for race day education.
"We’d just like to see him get the one per cent right tomorrow and build from there. He’ll be a really nice horse next preparation.”
Goulburn hosts eight races on Friday with the first timed to go at 12.05pm on a track currently rated a Soft 7.
View the final fields with full form & race replays for Goulburn here