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In 2022, Ash Barty broke a 44-year-old drought when she became a home-grown winner of an Australian Open singles women's title.
This Friday, Paul Castle will be hoping he and his gelding Touchandgo can channel Barty and secure a breakthrough victory at career start 45.
“I’ll be upfront, we have never had a winner, so it will be great,” Castle said.
The nine-year-old will be driven by reinsman Brent Murphy in the Harness Breeders Victoria Vicbred Maiden Trot on Humbletonian Day at Maryborough.
Touchandgo returned from a spell on December 17 at Terang to finish fifth and the Swan Marsh trainer is realistic about his boy’s chances.
“His first-up run was alright, but he is probably a bit underdone. He probably needs a couple more runs to be at his best,” Castle said.
“We just ran out of time to have him at his best for Friday. I’m not sure how he will cope after a five-day break, but hopefully he will be alright.”
“Lucky”, as he is affectionately known, has been part of the 56-year-old trainer’s family since he was a foal.
“Well, he is part of the family,” Castle said. “We had him, we bred him, he was a little horse when he was young and he took a long time to grow. He’s not big now.
“He’s inclined to put in a break from time to time for no reason. Sometimes he gets a bit excited, but he often runs a reasonable race. If he doesn’t break, he is usually competitive.
“If he didn’t break, he would have broken through a few times.”
Since Touchandgo made his debut at the track way back on June 10, 2020, three minor placings is all the son of Down Under Muscles has achieved.
“He may not (win),” Castles said.
“We keep telling him every year that it keeps getting harder every year, because the trotters are going that much quicker.
“He’s not young and he is coming up on 10 (years-old).
“The last two years he has paid his feed bill, so for us we don’t look at it as a money-making exercise. It would be nice to get a win and all that.”
Castle will also prepare stablemate Quick Decision in the final event on Friday, a three-year-old maiden pace.
“Humbo Day” features an 11-race card for horses that have never won a race and carries a range of benefits for its competitors.
Chief among them is Harness Racing Victoria's nation-leading futurities scheme Vicbred, with race winners aged four or less receiving their $7000 first-win bonus, while those aged five and over snap up $4500. That's in addition to Vicbred's up-to-10 per cent foal nominator bonuses.
Harness Breeders Victoria also offers the winning foal nominators $250, Victorian Square Trotters Association matches that prize in trotting races when a breeder is a VSTA member, and Maryborough Harness Racing Club is gifting a framed photo.
More details about why it pays to be Vicbred here.
TUNE IN at MARYBOROUGH on Friday
First Race: 11.59am Last Race: 5.49pm
Racecaller: Lachlan McIntosh.
TrotsVision: WATCH LIVE
SEN Track: LISTEN LIVE
RSN 927: LISTEN LIVE
Winner of the Week
LEAP TO FAME, by Bettors Delight by Lettucereason, winner of the Inter Dominion Pacing Championship Grand Final at Albion Park on December 16.
Breed your next winner with Woodlands Stud, supporter of Trots Centre
