WHEN Victorian trainer Craig Conron was struggling to find suitable races for his seven-year-old Will’s Power one of his former apprentices David Keating, who now lives in Tasmania, came to his rescue.
Knowing Will’s Power had a liking for the synthetic surface at Geelong, Keating made the call to Conron to let him know there was a 1650-metre race at Spreyton on the Tapeta synthetic that would suit Will’s Power.
So the trainer travelled the horse to Tasmania and the seven-year-old gelding emerged triumphant on the Tapeta surface last Sunday in the Simons Design Centre BM68.
Top jockey Brendon McCoull was booked for the ride and the gelding had to pull out all stops to emerge triumphant in a three-way photo finish over Kiwi Cat and Makes Cents with only a nose separating all three placegetters.
Conron was quick to thank Keating.
“The distances of the races at Geelong jump from 1300m to 1900m so David was on the telephone to let me know about the 1650m race here at Spreyton so the credit for placing him goes to David,” Conron said.
“I thought he might have been beaten in the finish but thankfully the photo went in our favour,” he said.
Conron said his connection with Keating dates back to when he was his apprentice and while with Conron Keating rode his former smart sprinter Grey Regent to victory at Flemington.
Conron left the horse with Whitemore trainer Graeme McCulloch for whom Keating is number one trackwork rider.
Provided the horse does well through the week he will back up again at Spreyton on Sunday.