Craig Carmody will be hopeful two of his runners can gain a start this week, after he was forced to scratch stable star Single from the Doncaster Handicap last Saturday with a leg injury.
The Randwick based trainer has accepted with second emergency Green Tracer in the HMAS Vendetta Handicap (1300m) at Randwick-Kensington this Wednesday, whilst the lightly raced Xatel Ekwa is nominated in the listed James H B Carr Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Green Tracer, a full brother to Shellscrape and Red Tracer hit some form last time out when claiming his debut win at Kembla Grange in his fifth career start after a disappointing start to his career.
“He hasn't been easy but he is certainly starting to mature now and he is going much better, said Carmody.
“He is just starting to come around this time in and in the last six to eight weeks he seems to be handling the whole thing much better mentally.”
The three-year-old $240,000 yearling purchase showed signs of improvement when placing at Canterbury three starts back and Carmody is hoping he can continue to keep the good form going.
“He struggled as a 2yo and I was never really comfortable with him but he has just taken that next step so hopefully he can keep going.
“He has raced quite greenly a couple of times and has not helped himself, and his last start he showed a lot more than he had previously.”
Carmody said Green Tracer will improve even more as he continues to mature and thinks he will really hit his straps next time in.
Meanwhile three-year-old filly Xatel Ekwa will aim for her first run in listed company in the James Carr Stakes (1400m) at Randwick this Saturday.
The daughter of Written Tycoon is yet to miss a place in three starts and has won her last two, the most recent at Newcastle in a Benchmark 60.
“She is going really well, her first win two starts back looked very promising against ordinary opposition and she stepped up in grade and still performed very well last start,” said Carmody.
“We were thinking of going up to Brisbane with her but just watching the way she travelled over 1500m at Newcastle I am not sure she is seasoned enough for the race we were looking at.”
“The options were to run her over 1550m on the Kensington track on Wednesday or giver her a gallop in the James Carr on Saturday.”
Atalntic Jewel currently heads nominations for the race but is likely to start in either the Emancipation or All Aged Stakes.
There are currently 20 nominations for the event with only 14 to gain a start.
