Three Musketeers will tackle the biggest test of his career in tomorrow’s $100,000 Country Trainers Series Final (BM70) at Echuca.
The four-year-old gelding made his way into the field after a second-place finish in heat three (BM64) at Kilmore last weekend and looks primed to do the stable proud.
It won’t be an easy task though with a sharp rise in grade, however, the son of Pride Of Dubai gets down in the weights at 55kg, has drawn a decent gate eight and will be paired with in-form hoop Cory Parish.
At $17 Three Musketeers is seen as an outside chance, but Andrew Dale insists the stable isn’t making up the numbers.
“His run was good at Kilmore and albeit he’s rising in grade, he’s down in the weights and has Cory Parish on board who knows the horse well,” Dale said.
“He’s a 60 rated horse and if he’s going to be the progressive type we hope for, these are the times you need to capitalise on being down in the weights.
“If we come back to 64 grade he comes back-up to that 57kg-60kg range so this is his chance to get some weight off his back.”
From gate eight, Dale’s confident his rising star will get plenty of cover.
“We drew gate six at Kilmore and ended up three wide with some cover so I would expect a similar thing to happen on Friday,” he said.
“It was a hot speed at Kilmore and he still hit the line well so now that he’s deeper into his prep hopefully he’ll run on even better.
“There’s some nice form that has come out of that race at Kilmore too, Craig Widdison’s Explosive Rosie finish four lengths back and came out and won the Albury Guineas on Thursday.”
Three Musketeers began his racing life at the Gelagotis stable before being transferred to Dale as an unraced three-year-old.
“He’s been a really consistent horses for us since the start,” Dale said.
“He’s still learning his craft – he’s only six starts in but it’s been great to see what he’s done in the early stages of his career.
“We’ve got some loyal owners in him too, Stephen and Jim Spiteri, and they’re coming up from Melbourne to watch him so hopefully we can repay their faith.”
It’s a stacked day of racing at Echuca, headlined by the $500,000 Country Discovery, along with the $150,000 Country Oaks and the Country Trainers Series Final.
“As a stable we’re just stoked to be participating on such a great day of racing,” Dale said.
“It’s a great card with some nice prize money on offer.”
