Trainer Peter Roche has designed Transfer Allowance’s spring campaign with the Pakenham Cup the goal.
After Transfer Allowance was placed in October’s Moe Cup, Roche set his sights on Sandown’s Zipping Classic (2400m) and Saturday’s Pakenham Cup which is 100 metres longer.
Unfortunately the Zipping Classic was a stronger race than Roche anticipated, but he’s expecting a good showing from Transfer Allowance at Pakenham.
In past years the Zipping has dropped off a bit and we thought we’d go to the Zipping and then this race,” Roche said.
“But the Zipping turned out to be a different affair and there was a bit of class there which was a bit of a shock to our system.
“We’ll now go to the Pakenham Cup and we expect a good run from him and hopefully he’ll get the chocolates.”
Transfer Allowance was beaten 7-1/2 lengths when sixth in the Group Two weight-for-age Zipping Classic won by Beautiful Romance on November 12.
In a leisurely run affair, Chris Symons, who again has the ride on Saturday, put some spark into the race when he made a run from the 1000m mark.
“We took off, under my instruction, early,” Roche said.
“We’re used to giving them a pretty big start but at that stage at the 1000 metres we were right on their hammer.
“Maybe if we had waited it could have been a little different.
“We can’t say we would have won but we may have finished closer.”
Transfer Allowance got his name when Roche’s daughter Monique was given an allowance to take up a position with BHP in Singapore.
She asked her father to buy a horse and he picked up Transfer Allowance for $15,000.
After 43 starts, which have netted six wins, the gelding has returned more than $158,000 prize money.
Retired teachers, Roche and wife Wendy have another couple of horses waiting in the wings when Transfer Allowance takes a well earned break after Saturday’s race.
“We don’t play golf or tennis, we just potter around with horses and the horses all pay their expenses,” Roche said.
Transfer Allowance was taken from Roche’s Yarragon property in rural Victoria to the Pakenham racecourse on Monday for a gallop that pleased his trainer.
“He’s in good order, so it’s all go,” Roche said.
Transfer Allowance is a $35 outsider with last-start Ballarat Cup winner Pilote D’essai heading the betting at $3.80.
Article from JustHorseRacing.com.au
