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Rolling Pin to collect Cabtamatta Mile
02 Feb 2012 | By James Buckley - racingandsports.com.au Rolling Pin’s part-owner Matthew Sandblom is quietly confident his in-form gelding can collect the Cabramatta Mile at Warwick Farm on Saturday.
The Kiama businessman, who has devoted much of his life pursuing mathematics, has crunched the numbers and believes Rolling Pin is superbly weighted for the Saturday feature.
Chasing a third win in four starts, the Gwenda Markwell-trained flyer only has to carry Corey Brown’s 54.5kg this weekend.
It’s the same weight as arguably his toughest rival in this race, fellow Wollongong miler Alma’s Fury.
“The weight’s a luxury he won’t know himself,” Sandblom said.
“On the weights you have to be confident.
“Alma’s Fury beat him a few starts ago. We gave it six kilos and got beaten a length and now this time we’re equal weights.
“On that, even though Alma’s Fury is going well, you have to say we’ll be hard to beat.”
Paul Murray’s Alma’s Fury is chasing a fourth-straight win on Saturday and comes into the race following a triumph in the JB Maher Memorial Handicap (1500m) at Rosehill three weeks ago.
Rolling Pin has traversed a much different path this campaign in preparation for the Cabramatta Mile, winning in town over 1550m and 1600m before stepping up to nine furlongs last start, and battling on bravely when second to Single.
That was two weeks ago lugging 60kg, and he led to the 200m before Single reeled him in. Sandblom’s horse refused to lie down though and was only beaten a length and a half.
“I thought it was up to one of his best runs,” Sandblom said.
“The other horse [Single] previously we met at pretty much closer to equal weight, we had 55 and it had 55 five starts ago and it beat us 1.3 lenghts.
“This time we were giving it six kilos and he beat us 1.5 lengths so he’s improved.
“The other horse is obviously a fairly decent horse as well but at equal weight I think we would’ve beat it, but not with six kilos, that’s a big ask.”
Sandblom hinted his horse was nearing the end of a prolific campaign but suggested there could be more races for him over the autumn.
“We’ve thought about giving him a break but he seems to be in pretty good spirits and pretty happy,” he said.
“He seems to like stable life and he’s getting better as he goes along.”
Rolling Pin, picture Sportpix.com.au.
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