Allender happy to play away from home with Inching Closer

By Glenn Davis

Innisfail trainer Krystin Allender is hopeful she’s pulled the right rein to start talented sprinter Inching Closer in the Open Handicap at Townsville on Sunday.

Allender was torn between floating the six-year-old on the four hour trip to Townsville’s Cluden Park or stay at home where he was nominated for the Open Handicap at Innisfail on Saturday.

“It was a hard decision as I didn’t really want to drive so far in the heat but I wasn’t keen for him to drop back in distance to 1200 metres at home,” Allender said.

“He’s the top weight with 58kgs in Townsville and I just felt he’d be better off over 1400 metres, so he’s running there.”

Allender had to wait a year to see Inching Closer end a frustrating run of outs when the six-year-old won over 1300 metres at Townsville on January 13.

“He had a bit of a gut buster last time but it was a good win,” she said.

“Nothing went right for him last campaign and he never had any luck.”

Apprentice Marnu Potgieter, who has ridden Inching Closer five times for three wins, replaces last start rider Jason Taylor on Saturday. 

Allender changed Inching Closer’s gear around last preparation when she used blinkers on him to help break his losing streak.

“He should have won the Mackay Newmarket last year but when he went for a run, the gap closed on him,” she said.

“He kept missing the start for some reason last campaign so I put blinkers on him and rode him myself in a jump out after he ran third in Cairns at the start of the month.

“He never missed the start when he won last start and he hit the line well, that’s why he’s better suited over 1400 metres.”

Allender, a mother of a three-year-old boy, moved to Innisfail five years ago to obtain her trainer’s licence and now has four horses in work.

“I came here from Victoria after working at Ballarat most of my life,” she said.

“I worked for a long time with Darren Weir and learnt a lot off him.

“I wanted to train but I discovered it was a lot easier to get a licence up here than in Victoria so I moved here nearly five years ago.”

Allender sees no reason why Inching Closer can’t make it back-to-back wins.

“Racing is racing but he’s pulled up well and hasn’t missed a beat,” she said.

“I can’t fault him and should be very competitive again."

Another win from Inching Closer will go a long way to convincing Allender to have another crack at the Mackay Newmarket later this year.