There’s a bit of the old and the new with Pat Carey’s bid for the G1 Goodwood at Morphettville on Saturday.
The veteran horseman is the first to admit that he’s the ‘old’, while his training partner Harris Walker and horse Recon are the ‘new’.
And despite the $1 million race being run under set weights and penalties for more than a decade, Carey believes this year’s race is a throwback to the “older style Goodwood Handicap days” with lightly-weighted emerging types like his own sprinter among the key chances in the market.
Recon booked a start in the Goodwood via a head-turning last-start win in the Listed Hareeba Stakes at Mornington, which took his career record to six wins from 11 starts.
The four-year-old will carry just 54.5kg in the race and is rated $15 with Bet365.
“He’s a progressive young horse who has found himself in the deep end after 11 starts,” Carey told Racing SA’s Frontrunner podcast.
“It’s a pretty rapid rise through the grades but he’s been well marked through the grades and he was a deserved winner the other day in the Hareeba.
“Whilst he’s in this zone and when you have a look at what else is around, the Goodwood seemed like the logical option for him.
“It’s leaning back towards the older style Goodwood Handicap days, even though the weight scale is completely different now with the set weights and penalties, so he gets his chance against some other young horses that haven’t quite proven themselves at the top level.”
While Carey is already a G1-winning trainer via stayers Cedarberg, Ethiopia, Gondokoro and Arapaho Miss, his co-trainer Walker is searching for his maiden win at the elite level.
Carey said Walker has been a game changer since he entered into the training partnership several seasons ago.
“It’s been the best move of my career and particularly with where I am at the moment,” he said.
“I’m starting to get on.
“Harris came to spend a few weeks with me when he wanted to have a look at somewhere different.
“When he told me he wanted to train, I said I could help him with a pathway forward.
“I told him that he won’t get rich with me but he’ll get a good pathway.
“He brings new energy, enthusiasm and fresh ideas.
“I’ve had a reasonable career but with Harris, it’s helped me keep pace with the rapid changes in business and technology.”
