Carnival Count Down for Carford

Late bloomer Count Of Carford will chase a much needed ratings boost when he continues his count down towards the winter carnival at Cluden Park tomorrow.

Townsville trainer Steven Royes says he has the restricted class galloper “spot on” for his return from a two-month let-up in the Ladbrokes Racing Club BM 65 Hcp (1200m).

Royes has targeted the benchmark race in a bid to earn valuable ratings points for a potential crack at the big sprints with the former Victorian seven-year-old.

“The plan is to get his ratings up there and hopefully sneak into the Cleveland Bay or a couple of good carnival races,” Royes said.

“He’s on 68 points now and probably has to win a couple to get into the better races.

“There’ll be better horses in those races but if he happened to get a run, down on the minimum he’ll run a bloody good race.

“It all starts with this race (tomorrow) and then we’ll look at where we go from there.” 

Count Of Carford has thrived in the north since Royes bought the gelding late last year with a moderate form card that included 40 starts for just three wins.

The Canford Cliffs gelding has registered three wins and three placings from six starts, with all of his victories coming on the Cluden track.

Royes has placed Count Of Carford carefully in mostly benchmark races on his rise through the ranks and has specially targeted tomorrow’s BM65.

“I think he’s very well placed in the race. If he was to run in a Class 6 plate he’d get 59kg against much tougher company but in this race he has to carry a kilo and a half more in a race that’s not overly strong,” Royes said.

“He’s fairly forward, he’s ready for a first-up assignment, although he’s drawn awkwardly in 11 alley.

“But he’s been going really good and he’ll have no excuses if he gets beaten.”

Count Of Carford will again have the services of leading jockey Graham Kliese who has been aboard the gelding in his past three starts.

But Royes has opted for in-form claiming apprentice Isabella Teh for his leading chance Royal Song in the Ladbrokes Yard Comments Mdn Hcp (1000m).

Royal Song will carry 57kg with Teh’s 2kg claim and will be better suited with a drop in distance to 1000m for a return clash with main danger Imperium according to Royes.

“I think the drop back in trip will suit us better than Imperium, who attacked the line the other day, and we should be right in the finish,” Royes said.

Royes trains Royal Song and recent Cairns winner Vancouver Bay for the North’s biggest owner Tom Hedley.

Meantime, Arctic Wolf will advance his Cup preparations when he lines up in the Hygain BM70 Hcp (1900m).

The Sebring gelding is coming off a 5 1/2 length in the BM65 over the same trip at his first start for leading trainer Georgie Holt on June 10.

Pictured: Count Of Carford scoring one of his three Cluden victories in April with Graham Kliese in the saddle in April. The pair will again combine tomorrow as the count down to the carnival continues.

See the racing calendar for upcoming race days.