Trainer Pat Cannon, a long-serving figure in the thoroughbred industry, currently has only one horse in training.
That horse is Shultzy, who was a late withdrawal from a race at Geelong on Wednesday and is now set to contest the Listed RM Ansett Classic (2400m) at Mornington on Saturday.
Shultzy has been a constant in the Cannon stable since arriving as a two-year-old. Now a nine-year-old with 65 starts under his belt, including nine wins and ten placings, he continues to race with considerable ability.
Cannon attributes Shultzy’s remarkable longevity to his profound understanding of the horse.
“He’s been sensational for me,” Cannon said.
“I got him as an early two-year-old and he’s nine now, so he’s been around the stables for a long time.”
“I think being spoilt is one thing as to his longevity, but when you’re a small trainer, I just know him inside and out.”
“When he’s sore, I know when he’s feeling something and we usually work on it.”
“He is a high energy horse but doesn’t need the hard work and the vets and farriers have had a lot to do with his longevity because he’s got kissing-spine.”
“We haven’t had to operate on it, we’ve been able to treat it.”
“In the middle of his prep, he was missing the kick by a long way, and that was because of the kissing-spine, which was enough to stop him jumping.”
“When they power off, that’s when it really hurts them.”
Shultzy carried 60kg to victory at Sandown in July and was last start second to the promising Leonchroi, an opponent on Saturday, at Sandown on September 2.
Earlier in his preparation, he outpaced Nearco Frod, who subsequently won at Flemington in early August, before pulling up with EIPH when finishing last in The Archer at Flemington on September 12.
“Leonchroi is more effective on the firmer deck than we are, but we’ve sparred with him a couple of times and also with Nearco Frod, and once he should have beaten him,” Cannon said.
“The form all around him is good, so here’s hoping on Saturday.” It will be interesting to see the performance of Shultzy against the other online bookmakers’ selections.