Cran Dalgety is hoping Krug shows he has improved in more ways than one in the Hannon Memorial on Sunday.
The star age-group pacer will take his first race day step towards the New Zealand Cup, for Dalgety and wife Chrissie, with his fresh-up outing in the Oamaru feature.
Krug returns to racing having spelled at the end of a busy campaign that saw him win races in Christchurch, Sydney and the North Island in a season where he had to step out of racing his own age-group to take on fields of open class stars.
Dalgety thinks the experience of that campaign is evident in Krug’s physical development in the off-season.
“I really feel like the boy has become a man this season.”
“We did some four-year-old racing, but he also had to mix it with the big boys in open class where you can’t hide.”
“Even in his lead up to the big races in Sydney he had to break 1.50.”
“There was no hiding and he fronted up and very admirably.”
“This year we head down a similar path, obviously without going in the four-year-old races, but we do so a little bit bigger, a little bit stronger and a little bit wiser.”
“Last year’s racing has certainly had a positive effect on him physically.”
“He looks stronger and more mature and he is telling us he is ready to have a good go at being there on (New Zealand) Cup Day.”
When Krug returned to racing last year he wasn’t exactly a natural at standing starts.
But it is a case of so far, so good this spring as the Dalgety camp aims the pacer at the New Zealand Cup.
“We have taken his overcheck off and he seems happy and he has stepped away well in both of his trials.”
“It is a different story come race day but everything he is showing us right now suggests he can get it right, which he will need to in all of his racing this spring.”
Krug has chased home his race rivals Alta Wiseguy and Akuta after starting from back marks in his recent trials.
Dalgety has been pleased with his horse’s efforts in each of his two trials.
“He probably couldn’t have trialled any better, he has run some very slick sectionals from back in the field.”]
“He is heading into Sunday as well as he can be for a fresh-up assignment.”
“We are taking on a tidy field but there’s no reason he can’t be very competitive.”
The Dalgety barn also starts Watermelon Sugar and Franco Mecca in Sunday’s Diamond Creek Farm Juvenile Stakes.
Though both horses are maidens taking on race winners, Cran Dalgety is expecting a bold run from each of his pacers.
“They are both horses with good futures and though it is a handy field I am expecting them to both be very competitive.”
“Watermelon Sugar has the draw (3) to be handy to the top-end and run very well.”.”
“Franco Mecca learnt a lot in his debut and I am expecting him to show more this time with that experience under his belt.”
“A top-four finish from either of them wouldn’t be a surprise at all.
Blair Orange partners both Watermelon Sugar and Krug on Sunday, while Carter Dalgety drives Franco Mecca.
