Having already equalled his highest number of wins in a season, Cambridge trainer Clint Isdale is hoping to break new ground with one of his runners at Rotorua or New Plymouth on Saturday.
Isdale has held a licence since the 2015-16 season and has trained a total of 58 winners, including 12 from his 199 runners this season. That matches his previous career-best total, which he set in 2022-23.
“It’s been good to get to 12 again, and now hopefully we can pick up at least one more at some stage,” Isdale said. “I’ve had 24 second placings this season too – it would have been nice if a few of those had been wins, but you take the good with the bad.”
Isdale’s team this weekend includes the potential Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) candidate Knights Realm, who will line up in the Sherlock Contracting (1400m) at Rotorua.
The Castledale gelding made a good impression with two wins and two second placings in a four-start sequence through May and June, then stepped up to Rating 75 company with a last-start fourth at Te Rapa on July 6.
“That performance was a little bit plain, but he’s bounced out of it really well and I’ve forgiven him for that run,” Isdale said. “The Te Rapa track was a little bit holding that day, not loose, and I think he prefers it to be looser. The way the weather is shaping up at Rotorua, he should have a looser track that’ll be more to his liking.”
The TAB rates Knights Realm a $4.80 chance for Saturday’s race, while his quote for the Winter Cup at Riccarton on August 3 is currently $51.
“It’s still something we’re thinking about, but I think this next race will be the telling factor on whether we take him down to Christchurch or not,” Isdale said.
Low-priced Gavelhouse purchase Impressive Belle is the $3.70 favourite for the opening event on Saturday’s Rotorua card, the Macmillan Accountants 3YO (1230m). The daughter of Press Statement finished sixth on debut in April and has subsequently produced eye-catching runs for fourth at Matamata, second at Cambridge and a last-start third at Rotorua.
“We paid $500 for her, so she’s been a nice little purchase off Gavelhouse,” Isdale said. “She’s eligible for Pearl bonuses, so it’s been really good.
“It’s a smaller field on Saturday. Hopefully she’ll get a comfortable enough lead, and then I wouldn’t be surprised if Tayla Melvin’s 4kg claim made her quite hard to run down.”
Isdale will also be represented at New Plymouth, where Quintain contests the UBP Ltd (1100m). The Iffraaj filly has yet to finish closer than fifth in three raceday starts and was a well-beaten seventh on an all-weather surface last time out, but a three-length trial win on a Heavy9 track at Waipa on July 4 hinted at a potential turnaround.
“I took her down to Awapuni last start and she just absolutely hated the synthetic track there,” Isdale said. “She’s always shown ability, but she’s a bit of a cantankerous filly and not the easiest.
“It came down to the idea that the last chance for her was to see how she went on a wet turf track. She certainly trialled very nicely at Waipa, so if she produces a similar performance again on Saturday, she could be very competitive.”
