Randwick based trainer Craig Carmody isn't looking to change his approach after completing an outstanding season which included the stable's first black type winner.
Photo by Racing and Sports
The former jockey ended last season with a remarkable 11 wins and 16 placings from 51 starts, made all the more impressive by only having a very small stable of six to eight runners.
Five-year-old gelding Single led the charge, taking his winning tally to six from 10 starts, including the listed Sky High Stakes before being struck down with a broken cannon bone on the eve of the Group 1 Doncaster Handicap.
“Single will come back in autumn,” said Carmody.
“He is three months into a four month recovery program and everything is going according to plan at this stage but you never really know with these things.
“There is some optimism from the vets so we will get him back in just over a month and start the slow process but definitely looking forward to getting him back and getting a feel for him again.”
Another of the stable's runners set to resume over the coming months is Xatel Ekwa who showed plenty of ability in her maiden campaign winning two races before being beaten 5.5L in the listed James Carr Stakes.
“She just came back from a spell and is around three weeks in and we will look to trial her around the end of September,” Carmody said.
“She was near the end when we put her in the James Carr Stakes and we thought on the back of her preparation we would give her a bit of a go but we will go back to home base and find something more suitable.
“We will probably look at a no metro win three-year-old fillies races for her I think she is a capable filly who should work through her grades in town.”
Carmody said he is looking forward to some of the nicer types returning to the stable and will look ahead to another successful year.
“I only have a small stable but we do our best with them and try to place them where they are best suited and compared to my previous few years it's really encouraging to see those sort of statistics to come up.
“I am happy to stick with the small stable I like to give them a bit extra and keep everything under control.
Carmody will saddle up both Wondergal and debutant Fourtracks Forkids at Newcastle today in search of the first winner of the season.
