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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Cameron Crockett says he couldn’t have scripted Super Extreme’s path into Sunday’s $150,000 Newhaven Park Hunter & North West Country Championships (1400m) at Tamworth any better if he had his time over.

Trainer Cameron Crockett (Pic: Bradley Photos)

It’s up to the talented five-year-old to get the job done but as far as the Scone trainer is concerned there's nothing else he could have done to give the horse his best possible chance to qualify for the $1 million Final.

Super Extreme, $8 with TAB on Saturday, arrives at Tamworth third-up on the back of a fresh win and a lead up on his home track that had the trainer beaming.

“I’d have to say of all the horses I’ve got ready for a Country Championships heat he has not missed a beat. The prep couldn’t have gone any better,’’ Crockett said.

“You always try to plan preps out and things can come undone with horses.

“From the time this horse went out after he raced at Randwick last prep this has been our plan and not one step has gone anything but perfect.

“I’d be hard pressed to swap him for anything in the race.”

Crockett hatched his plan after Super Extreme contested the Barn Dance in November and he was keen to secure a rider to stick with the gelding for the entire preparation.

Ashley Morgan committed to ride the horse and went to Dubbo for his first-up win where he shouldered 60.5kg over the unsuitable 1100m before carrying another 1kg in the Preview at Scone as he charged into third behind Tamworth rivals Sting Jet and Melody Again.

He meets both horses on better weight terms and jumps from a gate Crockett says he'd have picked if given the choice.

“All we really wanted to see was the horse finishing hard under the big weight, if he wins great but he did have a task against him. It was a perfect hit out for Tamworth,’’ he said.

“We didn’t want to draw in, his worst runs are when he draws inside because he doesn’t get the luck.

“You don’t want to draw out because in a big field a horse like him will have to go too far back to get in.

“If he could sit midfield with a bit of cover and they run along a bit he’ll be hitting the line hard. You’ve got to have that confidence in him that when he lets go he’s going to rattle off good sections.”

In contrast, stablemate Riva Del Sol hasn’t had the ideal preparation but Crockett said Sunday is her only chance to contest the Country Championships and it’s worth a shot.

The mare has been to Walcha and Quirindi for her two runs back over sprint trips, starting favourite both times, and in hindsight the trainer says those tracks have put her right out of her comfort zone.

“I just wish I didn’t take her to Quirindi around the tight downhill track because she lost her balance,’’ he said.

Super Extreme runs third at Scone on February 27

“I had a feeling it might happen but it looked a nice race for her.

“Maybe we should have gone to the Preview at Scone just to give her a better lead up. We could have run her at Dubbo (on Friday), but we’ll run her and if she runs well we might back her up (in the Wild Card).

“She’s going to try no matter what, obviously there’s a few chinks in her armour out to seven furlongs but we’ll see what happens.”

All the fields, form and replays for Sunday’s Country Championships meeting at Tamworth