Cracker of a performance from Leanne Hartley's gelding

By Jordan Gerrans

Trainer Leanne Hartley is hopeful the best is yet to come from her ‘mountain’ of a horse after Crackenthorpe claimed his first Queensland victory on Sunday at Caloundra.

The four-year-old Zoustar gelding won smartly over 1200 metres and the Beaudesert conditioner thinks he will get out to potentially a mile and beyond.

Known as ‘Cracker’ around Hartley’s stable, Crackenthorpe was slow away from the machine in the opener on Sunday but Dan McGillivray quickly mustered enough speed for the galloper to find the fence from his inside draw.

Apprentice jockey McGillivray was able to lob just behind the leading trio and was able to wear down Late Night Talking and Patrigno in the concluding stages.

“He is nearly 17.2 hands – he is a mountain,” Hartley said of Crackenthorpe. 

“I think that is why he finds it hard to get out of the barriers. He jumped last on Sunday but to Dan’s credit, he judged the pace well. Dan gets on well with the horse and it all panned out well.”

Hartley describes Crackenthorpe’s nature as that he is like a ‘big puppy dog’ and is easy to handle.

Crackenthorpe began his career with Mitchell Beer in regional NSW where he had two starts without much success.

Hartley’s partner Neil Brockington – who runs A Trojan Bloodstock – helped bring the gelding north. 

The trainer gave her new stable acquisition about six months in the paddock as she felt he needed the time to mature.

Queensland racing broadcaster Josh Fleming was particularly taken by the performance of Crackenthorpe.

The gelding put in two credible efforts for the team of McGillivray and Hartley last month before breaking through on Sunday.

Apprentice hoop McGillivray will often head to Beaudesert to ride Crackenthorpe in his gallops before his upcoming assignments.

“Leanne has done a really good job with this horse since he has come to Queensland,” Fleming said.

“He has put in eye-catching runs at 1000 and 1200 metres. And, this time he drew gate number one.”

Crackenthorpe raced up to 1600 metres for Beer and the galloper’s new trainer feels he might get a little further, with his next assignment likely to be 1400 metres.

“I think that is what he is up to and I think he will get a mile,” she said.

“He just lopes along and when he is asked to go, he goes, and does the same in trackwork. He loves to swim here at home.

“We will see how he goes in his next run but I think he will get 1600 metres and maybe even further.

“He has that long stride and just lopes along.”

Crackenthorpe’s win on Sunday provided the Hartley barn their first winner since the 2020-21 campaign and the fourth in total since their debut runner in 2019.

The 50-year-old Hartley prepares a team of two with Crackenthorpe joined by Riva D'amor, who is a recent stable acquisition from Gold Coast trainer Jay Bellamy.

She likes to be hands-on with her horses, doing it all herself - feeding, cleaning their boxes and brushing them, as well as all their other requirements.