Group 1-winning star Trap For Fools’ marvellous racing career will come to a close when he has his 57th and final start in tomorrow’s $400,000 Group 2 TABtouch Perth Cup at Ascot.
Now an eight-year-old, the veteran warhorse is on the verge of breaking past $2.3 million in stake earnings and will make not only his third appearance in the time-honoured race, but compete in his 34th race at Group or Listed level.
The striking chestnut has managed only 10th and ninth placings at his two starts this preparation, however, trainer Lindsey Smith is hoping a moderate edition of the Cup will enable him to go out on a high note with top jockey Brad Rawiller in the saddle.
“He’s okay,” Smith told TABradio’s The Sports Daily.
“He hasn’t set the world alight this prep on the track, but his work’s been okay.
“I’ve ridden him tough a couple of times and I’m starting him in the race because it’s not super strong, to be honest.
“It’s not like the horse is flying, it’s his last time around and it’s good to say goodbye to him after tomorrow.
“But, as I said, it’s not a strong a race so you never know your luck.
“He might run a hole in it.”
Trap For Fools is currently rated a $31 chance for the feature event, with fellow on-pace galloper Cockney Crew on the eighth line of betting at $18.
Asked his thoughts on rival trainer Kieran McDonagh’s recent comments regarding his plans for Cockney Crew to adopt “handlebars down” tactics in the race, Smith was at his cheeky best.
“Good, I’ll meet him there,” he quipped.
“It’s a bit late to change the rules now – it’s his last time.
“But if that’s the case then me and him might as well scratch.
“Anyway, he’ll see him up the top and away we go so at least you know there’ll be plenty of speed.”
A son of Poet’s Voice and out of former top mare Old Money – herself a Group 1 winner – Trap For Fools rose from humble beginnings to win 14 races, highlighted by the 2018 edition of the $2 million Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington.
The gelding broke his maiden status in a lowly Kalgoorlie maiden as an early-season three-year-old only two years prior before mixing his form over his next couple of preparations until Smith unlocked the key to an incredible run of form.
The spring of 2017 would see the then-four-year-old win eight of nine-consecutive races before being transferred to Victorian trainer Jarrod McLean, under whom he’d win another three races including his Group 1 triumph, before returning to WA to take out the 2020 Listed ATA Stakes carrying 62kg under Smith’s tutelage.
“I always remember the first day he won at Northam and he lost on protest,” Smith said.
“He gave the other horse a hip and shoulder and it was the only time I’ve been in the stewards’ room and I thought, ‘there’s no use bothering here, we might as well uphold it’.
“It took about two minutes and we were all out the door, so it was the first time I ever gave up a race so easy.
“My opinion is the day he ran fifth to Winx, I think that was maybe his best run.”
As well as giving him some of his best memories on the racetrack, Smith says he also has other reasons to thank the grand galloper.
“He taught me how to train horses tougher,” he said.
“Every time I lost my confidence in him I’d go back to the hard work.
“Sometimes I worked him twice a day if someone didn’t work him hard enough and he was able to bounce back and win a few in a row.
“I don’t like making too many excuses for horses on tracks but he was a horse that if he got to the middle of the field he would just drop out.
“They can be quirky, but he is super tough and it’s a credit to him.
“He doesn’t have the best shaped legs and it’s a credit to him and his mother was quite the same.”
Meanwhile, Smith will unveil new stable addition Weaponson ($9) when he has his first start for his yard in the Ascend Sales Trophy Handicap at Ascot.
Previously trained by David Harrison, the Oratorio five-year-old and four-time winner will be ridden by champion hoop Paul Harvey.
“I’ve only seen him on the Zoom and the What’sapp and Donna and everyone is happy with him,” Smith said.
“He’s settled down and he’s obviously going to be trained quite different to what David would have done with him.
“The owners just thought something outside the square may switch him.
“He’s been a little bit inconsistent sometimes, so we’ve gone for a senior jockey.
“It’s a look-and-see here but we took most of the gear of him and will start with a blank page and see if we can’t extract something out of him just simply changing his regime.”
Verrazano mare Deputano ($16) will be Smith’s other Ascot runner on the day when she makes her race return in the Mumm Champagne Handicap with Joseph Azzopardi aboard.
The five-year-old finished a half-length third in a recent Lark Hill trial and Smith expects her to produce a forward showing first-up.
“She generally takes that to the races, this horse,” he said.
“If she’s in form, she goes bang and she’s off, she’s off.
“She generally goes really good when she’s on song and she appears to have taken no harm from that trial, so she’ll sit back and come home.”