By Ray Hickson
Lightning has already struck twice for Wyong trainer Wayne Seelin and his tough sprinter Isorich and the pair are back chasing a threepeat at Randwick on Saturday.
The seven-year-old has posted successive on pace wins at double figure odds over the 1200m at HQ at his last two starts, curiously they were both the final race of the day.
Such is the case on Saturday when Isorich wraps up the day in the Jem Computer Systems Handicap (1200m).
Despite those wins Isorich is a $13 chance and Seelin seems happy with his perennial underdog status.
“I don’t know if he’s underestimated or I am underestimated,’’ Seelin said.
“A lot of people like to back the big trainers, us little fellas are forgotten a little bit.
“Plus you don’t see a lot of horses win at their 68th and 69th starts in town on a Saturday, let alone their 70th.’’
That’s right, it will be start number 70 for Isorich who Seelin picked up for just $7500.
He’s so far earned over $500,000 and almost $200,000 of that in this preparation alone.
Although he’s basically remaining in the same class Isorich rises from 54.5kg to 58kg after apprentice Lee Magorrian takes 3kg off again.
“He’s really well and ready to go but I am worried about the rain that’s coming,’’ he said.
“He’s always been a happy horse, he’s had these really dry tracks for the last half a dozen starts.
“The faster it is the better he likes it. That’s helped him over the last couple of months, so long as it doesn’t get affected too bad it’s hard to see him not being hard to beat again.’’
Randwick received about 5mm of irrigation on Wednesday morning and ATC track manager Lindsay Murphy said only about 4mm is forecast to fall at Randwick on Friday and nothing at this stage on Saturday.
Seelin, who has six horses in work at Wyong and a total of eight, said Isorich is coming towards the end of his campaign with one more run planned after Saturday race, the $150,000 Choisir Handicap (1100m) at Randwick on November 7.
“He’ll have one more after this one on Melbourne Cup day,’’ Seelin said.
“He’s by Choisir so I’d like to win that one and that’d be his last run then I’ll start looking at races like the Takeover Target at Gosford,the Scone carnival and the Ramornie.
“He probably has another season in him but my horses all live in paddocks, he has a 30m by 30m paddock that he can roam around in and it’s like he spells all day.’’
Check out the fields, form and replays for Royal Randwick on Saturday