When Gunnedah trainer Alex Martyn watches one of his horses run its first race, he’s not banking on a first-up win.
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It’d be nice, but the trainer’s eyes are searching for what the untried horse does out on the track, how it handles the surroundings, whether it gets through its gears.
Cochise Warrior will have have his first competitive start at Muswellbrook on Tuesday in the Arrowfield Maiden Handicap over 900 metres.
“He trialled and didn't trial too bad – very green and he’s still very green but he’s got to start sometime,” Martyn said.
“Normally with my horses, first start like that, I just hope they do everything right. I don’t care where they finish.”
Eleanor Webster-Hawes will steer the untried gelding in the opening race of the day.
If the stars align, Webster-Hawes and Martyn will also link up in the final race.
Last start winner Luceo Non Uro has been named as an emergency for the Muswellbrook Security Services Benchmark 55 Handicap (1000 metres) and Martyn is banking on a couple of scratchings.
“Hopefully he gets into Muswellbrook and then we’ll work on something else later on,” Martyn said.
Martyn has had Luceo Non Uro for “about three or four months” and the gelding’s win at Gunnedah on October 7 was his first for the new stable.
It was also just the second career win for the five-year-old from 31 starts.
Martyn doesn’t give himself much credit when it comes to Luceo Non Uro’s winning form. He instead puts it down to his stable being a good fit for the horse.
“I don’t think he’s improved that much since I got him, I’ve just changed a few things,” he said.
“Changed his shoes around, shot him differently and my feed and the way I work him might agree with him.
“Sometimes that happens when you get a horse from somewhere else – they respond.”
Finding a trip that best suits Luceo Non Uro has also helped.
”I was racing him around the 1200s, 1300s and I took him back to the 1000 and kept him fresh. He seems to like that,” Martyn said.
”His trackwork’s improved since we’ve changed his work-rate around.
”I’ll hang around the 1000 and see how he goes.
”If he goes alright and starts running me nice times and wins like he did the other day, I might go to 1100, try him, and then 1200 and see what happens.”