Craven puts emerging speedster in The Rising Sun conversation

Matthew Craven has thrown untapped four-year-old Bettor Isolate into The Rising Sun conversation, but will first be hoping he handles the step-up to metropolitan grade this Saturday night at Tabcorp Park Melton.

The lightly-raced son of Bettors Delight has won both his races this preparation in brilliant fashion and has drawn barrier one for the Logical Staffing Solutions Pace.

The two victories come after more than a year on the sidelines, with Craven revealing on this week’s episode of Trots Life that the gelding needed surgery to remove bone chips following his fifth placing in the Group 1 APG 3YO Colts and Geldings Final last May.

“If he comes through Saturday night as we expect him to, Queensland is definitely on the cards. And a lot of the time when we travel our horses it really helps bring them on and they come out of those trips a better horse,” Craven said.

“We have put our hand up to (Racing Queensland manager) David Brick and the team in Queensland just to keep an eye on him if they are looking for a horse with a bit of x-factor for The Rising Sun.

“Whether he steps up to that grade still remains to be seen, but on what he’s showed us at home he’s capable of something like that. Whether that’s this time in or not, we are not too sure.

“We are aiming at that sort of path, but if he doesn’t get to that level this time, we won’t be frightened to put him away and look after him.”

The Rising Sun is a $305,000 invitational event for three and four-year-old pacers and will be run at Albion Park on July 9.

Craven’s star trotting mare Pink Galahs dominated during last year’s Queensland winter carnival, but won’t head north this year. Instead, the Ecklin South trainer is looking to squaregaiting stablemates Lotamuscle and Credit Master to be among his headline acts in the Sunshine State.

Bettor Isolate has won three of his seven career starts and is one of four horses from the stable set to step out at Melton on Saturday night. Itzamajor Surprise, Aldebaran Tess and Crime Writer are also engaged on the 11-race card.

LISTEN TO CRAVEN ON THIS WEEK'S EPISODE OF TROTS TALK BELOW: