Herculean Cairns Cup task for American Saint

By Glenn Davis

Toowoomba trainer Lindsay Hatch believes American Saint faces a herculean task of turning the tables on Townsville Cup winner Namazu in the Cairns Cup at Cannon Park on Saturday.

The Ricky Vale-trained Namazu demolished his Townsville Cup rivals over 2000 metres on August 12 with American Saint finishing second, six lengths adrift.

While Hatch was delighted with American Saint’s performance, he believes the weight-scale favours Namazu.

“It was an enormous run from American Saint but I don’t think we can beat Namazu,” Hatch said.

“There’s no turnaround in the weights under the quality conditions.

“Ricky Vale is doing a great job with Namazu but we get no advantage by meeting him on the same terms.”

Under the race’s quality conditions, Namazu can’t be penalised for his Townsville Cup victory and will carry the same weight of 61kgs in the 2100 metre feature while American Saint stays on the minimum.

“It means Namazu can go on and win more Cups and not get penalised further if he races in a quality race,” Hatch said.

Hatch also will saddle up last year’s Mackay Cup winner Sayl who finished ninth in the Townsville Cup, more than nine lengths from Namazu.

“I made a mistake with Sayl by giving him four months off last year and it’s just taking him a long time to find form,” Hatch said.

“He needs to fire soon or he could be in trouble.

“I put blinkers on him in the Townsville Cup but that was the wrong move and they’re coming off for the Cairns Cup.”

Hatch is yet to win the Cairns Cup but has three Townsville Cup placings.

“I think this is my first Cairns Cup runner and I’d love to win it,” he said.

Hatch was born in Blackall in Central Queensland and grew up in Ayr before making a name for himself as a trainer.

He has been a regular visitor for the Northern Queensland Winter Racing Carnival in recent times and won last year’s Townsville Guineas with No Going Back who also claimed the Rockhampton Guineas.

He used to attend Townsville meetings with his father before leaving North Queensland to become an apprentice jockey in Brisbane at age 14.

After quitting the saddle, he took up training and held the position as assistant trainer to the Melbourne arm of the Darley operation when Peter Snowden was at the helm before eventually moving to Toowoomba.