How will history remember Catch A Wave?
It’s a great question and one he himself is still shaping the answer to.
Catch A Wave’s CV is elite with a 50 per cent winning strike rate (26 wins from 52 starts), eight Group 1 wins and a Victoria Cup second.
He’s also banked nearly $2.2 million.
That’s remarkable given he’s raced through the era of open-age dominance by Leap To Fame and Swayzee.
When you roll all of that together, the first instinct is to say he’s underrated.
While the 2023 Miracle Mile is his biggest win, his most important wins came when he snared the Nullarbor/Fremantle Cup double this time last year.
Going to Perth and winning is hard, landing two major titles in eight days is special.
Against that, he didn’t claim one of the big scalps – Leap To Fame or Swayzee.
In fact, Catch A Wave has beaten home Leap To Fame just once in six clashes. And he’s 0-2 against Swayzee.
That’s why Friday night’s $1.25mil Group 1 Nullarbor (and the Fremantle Cup the week after) are such important races on Catch A Wave’s CV.
Swayzee will be favourite in both.
Trainer Andy Gath says Catch A Wave couldn’t be better placed.
“I think he’s a lot better this time in (work) than last year, he’s settled in quicker and better over here (WA) and he’s come out and gone better in his first run here than he did last year,” he said.
So often vulnerable in “ho-hum” races, Catch A Wave looked sharp on every level when really put his opposition, including boom local Mister Smartee in a 2130m free-for-all at Gloucester Park last Friday night.
And the gate speed he showed was vintage. Something he’s been mixed at showing in more recent times.
“He’s pulled up great, too,” Gath said.
The win didn’t come without its pre-race challenges for Team Gath, but that’s something they’ve grown accustomed to.
“Well, I have, but he does Kate’s head in at times,” Andy Gath laughed.
“He’s had his quirks since day one and he’s still got them, they just show up in different ways at times.
“Before he won the Breeders Crown as a two-year-old, we couldn’t work him that week because he just wouldn’t go onto the track. We tried everything.
“Four years later and when Kate tried to work him here (Greg and Skye Bond’s stables) on Thursday, he wasn’t in the mood and kept running off the track.
“He’s a lovely, kind horse to do anything with, but there’s no doubt he can do things that really annoy you at times,
“When he’s in one of his moods, you’ve just got to go with him. He’ll win every time if you want to fight against him.”
Gath admits Catch A Wave has both challenged and broadened his training skills.
“We’ve continually tried different things with him. Take this campaign where we’ve galloped him for his last fast work each time rather than hopple him,” he said.
“They go faster galloping because it’s natural to them, but it doesn’t seem to stress them as much. He certainly tends to enjoy it more.
“It’s working. You can trust him more this campaign.”
While tomorrow’s (Tuesday) barrier draw will be important, Gath can’t wait for the Nullarbor.
“He’s as good as we’ve had him and he loves the track and style of racing over here,” he said.
“There’s no doubt Swayzee and Minstrel will be the hardest to beat. They both love a fight.”
For all of Catch A Wave’s achievements, given the presence of Swayzee, victory in the Nullarbor or Fremantle Cup would take him to another level.
at three-from-three on Friday week.
Last year’s winner Catch A Wave rekindled memories of the great days when he went from Victoria to win the Nullarbor/Fremantle Cup double last year.
He’s back, joining Swayzee, as a formidable eastern states one-two act this year.
Photos: PacePix