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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Kurt Goldman is wary that a ‘PB’ first-up from his Newhaven Park South East Country Championships bound mare Underground Music could make her vulnerable second-up at Goulburn on Monday.

Trainer Kurt Goldman (Pic: Bradley Photos)

A narrow defeat behind fellow Country Championships aspirant Molly Nails, with a big gap to third, at Moruya earlier this month told Goldman the five-year-old is worthy of a place in next month’s $150,000 regional feature at Nowra.

But ahead of the Country Championship Preview (1300m) at Goulburn, the local trainer said he expects a good performance but there will be something left in the tank for her February 13 assignment.

“I’m mindful that the run was a bit harder than what I would have liked,’’ he said.

“The fact they broke a track record shows how hard both horses put in that day. It can take a bit more out of them than what meets the eye.

“It maps perfectly, it gives me three weeks to the race at Nowra. Don’t expect her to be as forward second-up, after that run, but hopefully we can get her to bounce back in time for Nowra.”

Underground Music, $4.80 with TAB on Sunday, was a Highway winner back in May over 1200m and at the end of that preparation Goldman set her for the Country Championships.

It’s clear she ran up to expectation when resuming and while he’d love to think she can reproduce that performance the fact is he’s had to keep her preparations limited so hasn’t been as hard on her.

But he also has the tightrope of ensuring her rating is high enough, currently 66, to be one of the final 14 in South East Country Championship.

One of her rivals on Monday is Danny Williams' Bold And Wild who is assured a start at Nowra with a 79 country rating.

“It was obviously a very first-up good run, I was quite bullish going into it thinking she had come back equally as well. That was probably a PB for her so I’m mindful of that,’’ he said.

“She doesn’t generally hold up through a preparation, you’ll notice in her form she generally only has a few runs before she goes out for a break.

“We’re on our home track, for mine looking at the race she should get a lovely run in behind the speed. If the track is playing fair, she’s a natural competitive horse and I’m sure she’s going to be thereabouts.

“I wouldn’t suspect she’ll run poorly where her rating will go down and ideally she wins or runs top three and her rating goes up a point or two.”

Underground Music runs second at Moruya on January 3

The mare could be Goldman’s only Country Championships runner depending on results at next weekend’s Sapphire Coast carnival and what minimum rating is required to gain a start.

He’s sending last start Cowra winner Important Product and five-year-old mare Outta Reach to Bega and a win for both is vital with their ratings sitting on 59 and 62 respectively. He had planned to run Hokahey first-up at Nowra but her rating is on 60.

“Outta Reach is just finding the 1000m a bit short at the moment and is going to step out to 1200m at the Sapphire Coast,’’ he said.

“If she happened to win and look like she can run out 1400m she might go that way.”

All the fields, form and replays for Monday’s Goulburn meeting