Connor gifts Fynn his Cup chance as spotlight turns on Cobram

Fynn Frost has done his share of travelling since joining the Shepparton stable of Conor Crook, including a couple of long road trips to Wagga and to his trainer’s home state of Tasmania.

However, it might be a relatively short drive that produces the richest win of Fynn Frost’s career and also the biggest for Crook since he relocated to Victoria in June last year.

The duo line up in the $35,000 Jim Phillips Memorial Cobram Pacing Cup on Sunday.

It is a step up for Fynn Frost, a winner of 16 of 95 starts, but one Crook says the New Zealand-bred eight-year-old deserved.

“If you can forgive him for his two Tassie runs, his form is pretty good,” Crook said. “He didn’t get beaten by much (when third) in the Swan Hill mile and then won at Shepparton (last start).”

Crook has only had Fynn Frost for six starts, with the gelding having previously been prepared by Amanda Grieve and before that Andy Gath.

The son of Always A Virgin had his first two starts for the stable at Wagga, winning the second, and then headed to Tasmania.

“The (Tassie) trip didn’t go to plan at all,” Crook said. “He didn’t travel to well (on the boat).”

Crook said in retrospect he shouldn’t have given Fynn Frost a lead-up race to his major target, the Golden Apple, having not raced to expectations in the lead-up and then finished well down the track in a heat of the feature series.

Fortunately, Fynn Frost did not take long to get back to his old self once home in Shepparton.

“He only took a few days to be back to normal and since then it’s been full steam ahead.”

Fynn Frost goes to Cobram off a win at Shepparton on December 27 –  a performance that convinced Crook the gelding deserved a chance in a country cup.

Lightning Dan shapes as the one to beat on Sunday after a last-start fifth to Catch A Wave in the Group 1 Vicbred Super Series final for 3YO colts and geldings at Melton on New Year’s Eve.

He is one of two starters for two-time Inter Dominion-winning trainer Jason Grimson, who also Fire Fox engaged.

Cobram’s 10-race program also features the Group 3 $30,000 Central Murray Credit Union Cobram Trotters Cup.