By Glenn Davis
Talented mare Crymenotears was once earmarked as a sprinter by her trainer Rob Heathcote but that could be about to change if she wins the Class 4 Plate over 1400 metres at Eagle Farm on Wednesday.
Crymenotears had been nominated for Benchmark 65 Handicap over 1200 metres, but Heathcote believes the four-year-old is better suited over the longer trip and scratched her from the shorter event.
A daughter of Spill The Beans, Crymenotears tried to lead all the way on the Sunshine Coast Polytrack when resuming on August 21 before fading to beat one runner home in an 1100 metre Class 3 race.
It was her first start since finishing second to the Steven O'Dea and Matthew Hoysted-trained Teranga in three-year-old grade over 1615 metres at Doomben in April.
She previously made a successful step up in distance to 1690 metres for the first time to win a three-year-old Benchmark race at Ipswich in March.
“She was a bit disappointing first up but that was on the Polytrack so that can be a bit forgiving,” Heathcote said.
“She was also in the 1200 metre race tomorrow but she’s better suited over 1400 metres.”
Heathcote will see how Crymenotears handles her second-up assignment but is looking to step her up further in distance the deeper she goes into this campaign.
“She’ll go to 1600 metres next start so I’ll be guided by how she runs in these races whether she steps up to a middle distance," he said.
Heathcote admitted to an error of judgement in the past with how he trained Crymenotears.
Early in her career, Heathcote thought Crymenotears was purely a sprinter until she won over 1400 metres at the Sunshine Coast in early March.
“I thought I had a handy sprinter when she won a short course race early in her career and I trained her like a sprinter,” Heathcote said.
“But she’s a half-sister to Matt Kropp’s Tears Of Love who has won over 2200 metres at Eagle Farm.
“She’s won up to a mile now and she’ll step up in distance as she progresses through her campaign this time in.”
Heathcote is still on a high after his star sprinter Rothfire bounced back to his best form winning the Group 2 McEwen Stakes at Moonee Valley last Saturday.
“It was an unbelievable win and it’s scary to think how good he could have been had he not been badly injured early in his career,” Heathcote said.
Rothfire will now proceed to the Group 1 Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley on September 23 – a race Heathcote has won three times with his former champion Buffering.