Trainer Craig Turnbull has got a pretty big opinion of unbeaten gelding Sirlou after the pacer started his racing career with three wins by a combined margin of over 50m.
The four-year-old out of Hot Blooded Woman strung together wins at Shepparton and the Riverina to round out 2024 and will take another step forward in Monday’s $15,000 Jim Phillips Memorial Cobram Pacing Cup.
“We have got a big opinion of him,” Turnbull said. “He has won three in a row and because of that he is up in grade pretty quick.
“We thought the Cobram Cup was the next big step forward for him.”
Turnbull, 56, has seen his fair share of success in the caper winning a number of Listed Classics and Group 3 events, but is confident the now four-year-old can mix it with the best.
“He (Sirlou) is at the top of the range, in my opinion,” he said. “He has got a lot to learn, but he is not there yet.
“I think he can be a Group horse.”
“He is pretty good; he is still not 100 per cent. We worked out that he has only seen the mobile seven or eight times.
“We are just going race-to-race with him at the moment.”
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The Tatura horseman will opt against tackling the country cup circuit in 2025, but rather electing the shorter features.
“If he gets through this one okay and keeps this momentum, we will look towards the four-year-old sprints,” he said.
Abbey Turnbull is set to pilot the gelding on Monday afternoon with the pair drawing three for the 2170m trip.
“It is not a bad draw for him and he gets out (of the gate) pretty good,” he said. “ He will hold his own out of the gate, I’d say we will be pushing forward.”
The trotting feature on the card is the Central Murray Credit Union Cobram Trotters Cup. The Chris Svanosio- trained Brandlo Prince and the Donna Castles-prepared BerriesandCherries will start as the furthest back-runners off a 30m handicap.
The Faye McEwan trained Watch And Act will start on pole with Damian Wilson at the controls.
The trotting and pacing features are set to go at 3.59pm and 4.32pm respectively.
