Kentuckiana Lodge star Krug is ready to deliver a massive fright of a different kind at Menangle on Saturday night.
Australasian harness racing fans got their shock of their lives when the Cran and Chrissie Dalgety trained four-year-old galloped out of his last start in the Hondo Gratton Stakes.
But no one was more shocked than Cran, which goes part of the way to explaining why it is so unlikely to happen again in the Paleface Adios Stakes.
“To say it was a shock is a bit of an understatement.”
“He is the cleanest pacer you could hope to find, he’s got a beautiful gait and he has never done anything like that in his life.”
“After seeing the replays it's clear he has brushed a wheel, which is one of those things that can happen in racing.”
“We will put that behind us, it was one of those one in a million things, those odds say it won't happen again."
“So, we have got it out of the way now and we are moving on to Saturday night’s race with full confidence in the horse.”
Krug has drawn barrier 1 in Saturday night’s Paleface Adios, a qualifier for the Group One Chariots Of Fire.
Across the Tasman there is plenty of talk about Ace Now, drawn in barrier 2, having the speed to cross Krug.
Dalgety isn’t remotely interested in weighing in on that chatter.
But there seems a big chance Krug will deliver a shock to any rival camps if they think their horses can cross him.
“We have been through all of this before in the Rising Sun.”
“We drew one there and they said this one was going to cross him, and that one, and he led for fun, and that was when he was a three-year-old up against open class horses.”
“If something else thinks they can get out and cross us on Saturday night they would want to be very fast.”
“But we will just worry about ourselves, the horse is in great order, he and Carter are getting on like a house on fire.”
“So, let's just bring on the race.”
Krug will be out to cap a fantastic week for Kentuckiana Lodge after Remember Me bolted-in in a NSW Oaks lead up at Menangle on Tuesday.
After leading up, Carter Dalgety let the blueblood filly roll from the 800m and she left her rivals chasing a memory.
“To be honest she jogged it, she is just such a great staying filly, she can roll those fast sectionals back to back.”
“She is absolutely thriving over here, she is getting better all the time.”
“We will keep her ticking over until the Oaks now and hopefully her progress continues.”
The Chariots Of Fire and the NSW Oaks heats are both next Saturday – February 19.
