Alex Rae knows his brilliant run of form will end at some point, but he’s hoping the horse who kick-started it all can do her bit to keep it going a little while longer.
I’m Foxing will chase a fourth straight win in Saturday’s $150,000 MRC Membership Made Of Moments 3YO Handicap (1000m) at Caulfield.
The daughter of I Am Immortal’s maiden win at Yarra Valley on March 24 was the first of 13 winners from 45 starters for Rae and the young Cranbourne trainer is thankful she came along at the same time at the likes of I’mateez and Loft Vega.
“It was a little unpleasant six months ago when we had a stack of ordinary horses and we were just trying to work our way through things and get to the city with some better quality horses,” Rae said.
“To be fair, these horses have all bobbed up at a similar time, so it’s no surprise and there’s plenty of nice ones still to come through.”
“We’ve just got to keep working hard and hopefully it keeps coming, because you know racing is a tough game.”
I’m Foxing faces her toughest test this weekend, but Rae is not shying away from it given the dashing nature of her recent performances.
She sat outside the leader in her two length win at Yarra Valley before all-the-way wins at Pakenham and the Caulfield Heath at her past two and Rae said while time was spent early in the campaign trying to harness her speed, he’s since learned to embrace it.
“We’re just letting her run,” he said.
“I was really trying to get her to switch off but it was working against and she was just becoming even more ferocious.”
“At Caulfield when she won, we wanted her to be a little relaxed in the run but she led up quick horses that day and looked explosive.”
“We’ll adopt the same tactics on Saturday and if they’re good enough to catch her, good on them.”
I’m Foxing drew barrier six on Saturday, when she will be ridden by Luke Cartwright, whose 1.5kg claim reduces her weight to 54.5kg.
Saturday’s race is a heat of the Creswick Series, which culminates with a 1200m final at Flemington on Saturday week, but Rae said it was another Listed race he has in mind should she perform well this weekend.
“She’d be very dubious at the six furlongs the way she’s racing at the moment, so if she was to run well we’d be thinking about the Lightning Stakes in Adelaide at the end of July.”
