Joy for Korchnoi as He Settles Into Northern Racing

Life has taken a hard road for fallen Brazilian star Olympic Korchnoi, but he’s carving out a low-key career in the north that may yet take him to country Cups glory.

The travel weary six-year-old has endured an epic journey, half way around the world, that has landed him in his current home with Cairns trainers Trevor and Peter Rowe.

Twice placed in Group 1 Derbies in Brazil, Olympic Korchnoi’s remarkable story continued at Cluden on Saturday when he scored an upset win over hot favourite Maloolaba in the Ladbrokes C6 Plate (1400m).

It was a far cry from his early days racing among Brazil’s elite staying colts, but it was an encouraging glimpse of the old Olympic Korchnoi who showed so much early promise.

A son of Japanese bred stallion Agnes Gold, Olympic Korchnoi was among the top bracket of his age group in South America and was sold to Hong Kong after his third in the 2021 G1 Brazilian Derby.

Still a stallion, he didn’t take to Hong Kong and never raced there, and was sent on to Australia.

He had just two starts in two years for unplaced efforts, before Trevor Rowe bought him as a unwanted gelding for just $1500 in an on-line auction.

“The horse went from Brazil to Hong Kong, where he didn’t race, and then to Adelaide to Philip Stokes. I rang him when the horse came on the market last year and he said he moved him on because he was a colt and needed gelding and the owners didn’t want to do it,” Rowe said.

“He ended up on the Sunshine Coast where by that time he had been gelded and had one start over 1300m or 1400m and he finished down the track.

“I thought with his history he was worth a go and we didn’t have much to lose, “

The Rowes have since run Olympic Korchnoi 16 times for three wins and five placings but say that record could have been better, but for the shortage of genuine staying races in the north.

He was unplaced in the Townsville and Cairns Cups last year in his first northern season, but Trevor Rowe says he’s a different horse this year.

“This time in he’s settled down to be a really nice horse. He’s acclimatised now but there was some scallywag in him and still is,” Rowe said.

“At the end of the day he’s a lovely race horse and he’ll run all day.

“If Brisbane wasn’t so far away I’d have him down there in a mile and a half race tomorrow.

“Going in to today he’s done absolutely nothing but light exercise since his last start second in the Mackay Amateur Cup.

“I’ll try and find another mile race for him to keep him ticking over for the cups but I can’t wait for the Cups to come around,

“Today he got in with not a lot (weight) on his back and a big drop in class and even though the favourite had very good form, he’s raced against some very good horses in the past.

“You’ve got to be vigorous on him out of the gates and for the first 300m or so to lead if you can and then get him to settle.

“He tries hard when he’s up on the speed but if he misses the kick he just won’t chase.

“When the favourite headed him at the top of straight I didn’t think we’d be able to beat it but at the 200m, I was on the phone to my wife, and I said ‘he’s going to win this’.

“Tyler (Leslight) did a great job on him.

“I don’t profess to be a Bart Cummings but I think we’ve pressed the right buttons with him.” 

Rowe said he was also looking forward to his top sprinter Smart Image returning to his Cairns stable next week for the northern carnivals after running 4.5l 11th to Golden Boom in Saturday’s Listed Chief De Beers (1110m) at Doomben.

Meanwhile, Tolga trainer Roy Chillemi may have been absent from the track but he was tuned in to watch his former gun two-year-old Missile Thunder return to form with a slashing win in the Labrokes Open Hcp (1200m).

Chillemi was at home for his granddaughter Hannah’s debutante ball but was on the phone to his stable lieutenant Louise Terzi minutes after the win.

Missile Thunder, the champion northern two-year-old of two seasons ago, showed he was getting back to form after two chipped knees, a neck abscess and a chronic virus that almost killed him.

“We can start making some plans for him now,” Chillemi said.

“I’ve known deep down it was going to happen. I just took it a race at a time and it’s taken a while to get the fitness in to him.

“We don’t have barrier trials here so we’ve had to race him back into condition and because of the amount of time he was out it’s taken longer.

“And of course with the knee operations and the other setbacks he’s had we weren’t going to rush him.

“He’s a happy vegemite at the moment, and happy to get into his work. 

“We’re very pleased with him.

“I think a race like the Cleveland Bay will suit him. It wasn’t the hottest field he beat but we’ll just keep moving towards the carnival and see how we go.”

Missile Thunder was a late pick up ride for Nathan Thomas who replaced apprentice Isabella Teh who became sick after weighing out.

Thomas won earlier on the Stephen Massingham-trained mare Lady Damus.

Heavyweight hoop Carl Spry also landed a winning double.

He scored on Store Beach and Hallside Hammer, both for trainer Les Gordy.

The other big winner on the day was Roweiner’s Dance who lumped 62kg to his 10th Cluden win from just 16 starts.

Pictured: Olympic Korchnoi with trainer Trevor Rowe and jockey Tyler Leslight after claiming the Ladbrokes C6 Plate (1400m) at Cluden Park on Saturday 25 May.

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