Kerchak comeback to determine winter plans

28 March 2025
Jockey Jag Guthmann-Chester.

By Glenn Davis

Mooloolaba Cup-winner Kerchak continues to amaze Gold Coast trainer Ben Ahrens who hopes to formulate a Weight for Age winter campaign after the gelding makes his comeback at Doomben on Saturday.

Kerchak - a Jag Guthmann-Chester mount - steps out in the Open Handicap over 1350 metres in his first start since finishing ninth in the Shoot Out at Eagle Farm in late December.

The six-year-old earned a trip to Sydney following three straight metropolitan summer wins including the Mooloolaba Cup on a heavy track at the Sunshine Coast in November last year.

“He ran a good race to finish fifth at Randwick considering the run he had,” Ahrens said.

“He was caught deep and didn’t quite have the turn of foot to finish off the race. He put in a bad one when he came home for the Shoot Out but it was a bridge too far after a long campaign and he had had enough by then.”

Kerchak (NZ)
Tony Gollan Next Racing

Ahrens was forced to bring back Kerchak from his summer spell earlier than expected.

“He only had one month out in the paddock,” Ahrens said.

“He seems to be one of those horses who doesn’t do well spelling. He keeps hanging around for feed and enjoys being in the stable more.”

Kerchak is unbeaten in his two starts at Doomben but is yet to win first-up with two placings from three attempts.

“He had a jump-out and won well at the Gold Coast last week,” Ahrens said.

“He’s going well but he might be a little underdone for this race but all the indications are that’s he’s close to the mark.”

Galloper Kerchak.

Ahrens has no specific plans in mind for Kerchak during the Queensland Racing Carnival but hopes to target the Weight for Age Group 2 Hollindale Stakes on his home track and the Group 1 Doomben Cup in May.

“Nothing specific has been set out for him as it will depend how he goes in his first two runs back,” Ahrens said.

“The Doomben Cup would be a nice race for him.

“They’re both Weight for Age races and though he’s not yet a Weight for Age horse, he’s got to start off somewhere.”

Ahrens has a gifted one-on-one touch with injury prone horses and has carefully managed Kerchak after he was bought for $3,000 at an online auction.

“He had a tendon problem when he first came to me but he’s shown no signs of it since as I give him a lot of massage and daily ice treatments,” Ahrens said.

A former physiotherapist, Ahrens has been training for more than two decades after first hitting the headlines with his former star Spechenka who won the Group 3 Summer Cup at Randwick in 2010.

Spechenka finished his career with 12 wins and seven placings from 61 starts and more than $527,000 in prizemoney.

Ahrens believes Kerchak has not yet reached Spechenka’s level but has time on his side.

“They’re different types of horses and so far, Spechenka has the runs on the board but Kerchak is on the right track,” Ahrens said.