HEATH Chalmers has targeted his home cup carnival with just two horses, but he also knows you have to be in it to win it.
With Mallee Hammer – a winner at Kerang in April and a fourth placegetter (one length from first) at Echuca in May – Chalmers has a horse in good form who should be thereabouts.
Even though he rates his five-year-old mare as a horse who “has pretty well reached her capacity” with the win and a fourth after coming back from a long spell.
“I will also be having a first start with Spirit de Lune, who I have purchased from Austy Coffey. The four-year-old gelding has had nine starts for five thirds,” Chalmers says.
“He trialled really well the other day and has had a few months in the paddock since I got him, so I will be looking for him to run well.”
Chalmers has had Mallee Hammer – who has two wins from 19 starts – her whole career.
“I thought she had worked well enough to take her to the Kerang races after we had also given her a pretty long spell and all the signs on this first-up from that break were promising,” he said.
“She’s such a nice little mare to have around and I reckon we might look for something a little bit easier next time. I haven’t looked yet but give me a couple of weeks and I’ll see what we can find.
“I’ve had a couple of runners and they’ve also gone out to the paddock; and I’ve got a younger one coming through, and five two-year-olds also at the stables getting ready for racing as well as a handful of youngsters to be broken in.”
