Our Crunch Time will make his first start in 20 weeks and he has not been produced in trials by his trainers Greg and Skye Bond. But his form in New Zealand suggests he will carry too many weapons for his nine Australian-bred rivals.
Favorably drawn at the No. 2 barrier, he will be piloted by Deni Roberts, with his biggest danger expected to be six-year-old Rockokoko, the lone runner on the back line.
Rockokoko, trained and driven by Aiden de Campo, made an impressive return to racing last Friday evening after an eleven-month absence, as he raced into the wind before taking the lead 370 meters from home to take a comfortable victory over Oh Miki, with a score of 1.56.4 after the final 400 meter sections of 28.1 seconds. and 28.7 sec. in the 2130m event.
Our Crunch Time’s most recent appearance was at Addington on September 12 last year when he contested the $50,000 Woodlands Stud Sires Stakes over 1980m. He was the only runner on the back line and he was sixth in the one-out, two-back position in the middle phase before rocketing forward with a three-wide burst with 300 meters to travel. He got to the front 200 meters later before wilting late, finishing a close third behind outsider Berrettini, who scored 1.56.2.
In his previous start, also over 1980 meters at Addington on August 22, Our Crunch Time posted a score of 1.56.8 as he won by half a neck from favorite CC Arden.
OUR CRUNCH TIME REPEAT
He was the brightest to start from barrier No. 3 and led for the first 500 meters before racing three back onto the pins and getting free on the home bend and rising in the last few steps to score narrowly.
Our Crunch Time also won in its first two outings. He racked up more than 1980 meters at Addington in January last year and gained more than 2000 meters at Rangiora eight weeks later. His record now stands at seven starts for three wins and two-thirds for earnings of $30,063.
Roberts also has good prospects in the fifth event on Friday evening, the $31,000 Nova Media Cup over 2130 meters, in which she will drive Talks Up A Storm off the coveted No. 1 barrier.
She rode the Murray Lindau-trained eight-year-old for the first time (and on the gelding’s 96th start) last Friday evening, when he was not pressed early from the outside on barrier seven, and was 11th and last at the bell before running solidly home to finish fifth behind Fat Louie.
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Through Ken Casellasfor Gloucester Park
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