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Dale Grooming Boston As Potential Kosciuszko Contender

By Ray Hickson

We’re still nine months away from the world’s richest country race but trainer Matt Dale is using this preparation to groom Boston Rocks as a potential contender for The Kosciuszko.

Trainer Matthew Dale (Pic: Bradley).

As trainer of 2023 champ Front Page, Dale has a good handle on what’s required to be a competitive chance in the $2 million feature and he says with only 13 starts under his belt Boston Rocks has the potential to reach that level.

The four-year-old has his second run for the campaign in the Inglis Classic Sale 9-11 Feb Out Now Handicap (1100m) at Randwick on Saturday.

“Any lightly raced sprinter that has good upside that’s what you have in the back of your mind,’’ Dale said.

“You’ve got to be Saturday grade/Listed grade competitive to be a Kosciuszko contender I feel. To be a real chance.

“He’s shown he’s super competitive at high benchmark Saturday Sydney grade, he’s knocking on the door and he just needs to continue to get that execution right and he’ll be there.”

Boston Rocks, $4.40 with TAB on Friday, ended his first preparation for Dale with a Canterbury win and resumed with a closing second over 1000m on the Caulfield Heath track in mid-December.

As he got to know the gelding, Dale realised he needed some form of gear change to help him focus and when he ruled out blinkers he took a punt on a nose roll and feels it’s had the desired effect.

“I thought his runs since I’ve put the nose roll on him have been really good and he’s been building confidence all the time,’’ he said.

"He needed something, he was very wayward under pressure. He was rolling around and not letting go and you generally go for blinkers in that situation.

“I didn’t want him to over race early and that was the reason I went for the nose roll, I wanted to keep his head in the game early but give him something to focus up at late and it’s really worked with him.”

Dale isn’t too concerned about Boston Rocks drawing wide again as the Randwick 1100m is much kinder on wide barriers than the new Caulfield inside track and will hope jockey Billy Loughnane can find a trail behind what he expects will be a genuine tempo.

“He’s quite well placed from albeit a sticky draw but his run first-up was really promising and he’s done well since,’’ he said.

“He did a good job there first-up, first trip away and he handled that well. He’s still not the finished product but he’s on his way and trending the right way.”

Adolphus makes his TAB Highway debut at Randwick on the back of a first-up win at Canberra a month ago and Dale said that gap is crucial to his chances over the mile.

The gelding’s fresh win was a grinding performance and Dale is wary of that fact.

“That’s why I waited the month between runs. He’s a horse that will pretty quickly be looking for 2000m plus so second-up at a mile off a month looks good,’’ he said.

“He’s got a nice middle draw and Nick (Heywood) knows him well. He’ll get back off them a little bit and find his rhythm and be building strong through the line.”

The Goulburn trainer is adamant honest gelding Gravina isn’t far off a breakthrough win after a pleasing first-up performance behind Iowna Merc and he’ll looking to build off that in the Precise Air Handicap (1200m).

Gravina’s last win was in October 2022 and he’s recorded four placings from seven starts since joining Dale’s team including a narrow defeat to subsequent Ingham winner Robusto.


Gravina's first-up run at Randwick on December 21

“I thought his effort first-up was really good, he showed good intent, and he’s better suited at 1200m,’’ he said.

“A couple of starts ago he was beaten narrowly to Contemporary and the start before beaten a head to Robusto.

“He’s got decent form lines, he’s just got to that stage of his career where they don’t win very often but he’ll get that win on the board at some stage this preparation.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Randwick meeting

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