Tim O’Connor
MATTHEW Craven is somewhat of a stranger to the Sunraysia but is setting his sights on another of the region’s big harness racing features this weekend.
Early last month, the top trainer-driver was rewarded for two 12-hour round trips from his stable on the outskirts of Terang when he ran first and third in the $30,000 Mildura Pacing Cup Final, with Young Bluey holding off Catalpa Rescue and stablemate Crime Writer to win the time-honoured classic.
And that pair heads a further hit-and-run mission on the northern part of the state.
Craven will drive Young Bluey and Hannah Lewis Crime Writer in Sunday’s Gregg’s Electrical Ouyen Pacing Cup on Sunday, with the horses to begin from barriers five and 10 respectively.
For 40-year-old Craven, claiming the Mildura Pacing Cup was another thrill in a career that has reached so many highs, including 12 Group 1 wins as a trainer and nine as a reinsman.
“It’s one of the races, as a kid, that you always tuned in to watch,” he said. “You look over time and there’s always been a nice horse win a Mildura Cup.
“It’s always been a bit of an iconic race. It’s not easy because you’ve got to go and run in the heats early in the week and front up again. Being able to get Young Bluey to turn up again on the Friday night was pretty pleasing.”
Young Bluey has campaigned in numerous country cups since late last year, winning silverware at St Arnaud in November and Mt Gambier in March before the Mildura success early last month. His record has blossomed to boast 10 wins from 40 starts and prizemoney earnings up over $100,000.
While five-year-old Young Bluey remains on the upward spiral, Crime Writer heads into the twilight of his career still racing well at nine years of age. He has been a wonderful campaigner for connections, with his 15 wins and 33 placings earning nearly $260,000.
Craven has never had a runner in the Ouyen Pacing Cup and believes it’s been some two decades since his last trip to the track.
“I haven’t been there since I was a really young fella and I went with Peter Manning, so it could be 20 years ago,” Craven said.
“It doesn’t matter what horse it is around those (small) tracks, you don’t need any bad luck.
“They’ll both need a bit of luck and things to go their way, but if it does, they can both capitalise on it.”
While Craven has two key chances of pulling off another successful raid, it won’t be easy to snare the cup from a strong contingent of local trainers chasing their own piece of Ouyen history. Merbein South’s Luke Watson has Keayang Moroccan engaged in the race, Irymple’s Allan McDonald will gear up Watch The Attitude, Birdwoodton’s Naomi Kerr prepares United, Cabarita horseman Scott Garraway lines up Rio Rock and Red Cliffs’ Andrew German will be represented by All Da Rage.
The Ouyen Pacing Cup over 2423 metres is race seven on the eight-race card and is set to go at 4.34pm.
