Pig Hill Central to Caught's Cup Plan

A fair few winners did their conditioning work on Cluden’s famed Pig Hill over the years.

The bush track was for a long time a well-used alternative to the race track facilities on the other side of the highway.

Pacers too were exercised there in the days when the trots were racing at the Showgrounds and then the Willows.

Times changed though, and Pig Hill became disused and overgrown.

Wind the clock forward a few years and the hill is once again playing a part in Townsville racing.

Trainer Jeff Caught, who grew up exercising pacers on the hill with his late father Ray, has breathed new life into the old place.

After taking out a long term lease over the area, Caught has invested heavily in the hill - laying down a fresh bush track that’s even longer than the old one, and built paddocks, tie-up stalls and wash bays.

It’s a perfect horse getaway for his small team which is permanently stabled on course at the Cluden racetrack complex.

And it’s working a treat for Caught’s main carnival contender Central Park.

The progressive galloper took an important step along a Townsville Cup path with a last-to-first win in the Vale Shane McGovern Open Hcp (1400m) at Cluden on Sunday.

Ridden patiently at the back of the field by apprentice Fiona Sandkuhl, Central Park stormed home to beat Free Carry and Prince Akeem to secure a much needed ratings boost.

Caught says the Pig Hill set-up has taken a huge amount of work but it’s tailor-made for his needs.

“Years ago we used work all our trotters up and down the hill beside the galloping track,” he said.

“The old bush track was only about 500m back then, but I’ve made it about 1200m with heavy sand for them.

“Before you get to the track I cleared all of the chonky apple trees and I’ve now got paddocks there. It’s great to give them a freshen up. Between starts Central Park does really well there.

“I’ve had truck trouble so I’ve been working them in the middle (racetrack) but I normally truck them up the hill and gallop them up there every morning and with the five tie-ups its perfect for us.”

Caught won the Townsville Cup in 2021 with Fortification and has had an ambition to chase the big race with Central Park ever since he won his first two races at Cluden two years ago as a three-year-old.

The son of Manhattan Rain was shipped to good mate Billy Healey at the Sunshine Coast where he won three of his next four starts from 1600m up to 1800m.

He lost form in a handful of starts, mostly on wet tracks, over the following 12 months before being brought back to the north earlier this year.

“The Cup is his target. Hopefully here and then on to Cairns,” Caught said.

“He goes well for girls who are a bit quieter on him. If someone bustles him he just doesn’t like it. He builds during a race and knows when it’s time to go.

“All of his runs since he’s been back here have been good but he just hasn’t had any luck.

“I thought he’d go alright today but you never know being a class 5 horse in an open.

“He probably still needs to win another race or one of the qualifying races coming up to get into the Cup but I’m very happy with how he’s coming along.

“Finding the right races has been the big problem because he’s really a miler plus.

“Hopefully now we’ll go to one of the two open mile races coming up and then the 2000m race (Winter Cup on July 5) which are all within three or four weeks.”

In a big day for the girls on Sunday, women dominated in the saddle, winning seven of the eight winners.

Lacey Morrison and Tahlia Fenlon both landed doubles, and Olivia Kendel, Chelsea Jokic and Sandkuhl (Central Park) also booted home winners.

Morrison produced the ride of the day to win on Alabama Moonlight, securing a rails run to take out the Quality Fabrications & Welding C3 Hcp (1609m).

Trainer Trevor Rowe is now looking at carnival options for the improving four-year-old.

“That was such a great ride by Lacey. When she’s hot she’s hot,” Rowe said.

“When this horse won a Class B at Atherton one day with Lacey on I said I thought he might be good.

“I don’t really want to take him back to under 1400m and we’ll see what the handicappers do.

“We’ll just have a look at the program in a week or so and see if we can map out a path into carnivals.”