Sprightly Spry keen to keep winners rolling

Racing allrounder Carl Spry is a man with the winning touch and he’s banking on his recent run of luck continuing at Cluden Park tomorrow.

Spry trained and rode four winners in April and considers the improving In His Time a great chance to keep up the pace in today’s C.U.B. 2yo Mdn Hcp (1200m).

In His Time, with Spry to ride, is rated a leading hope in early markets after an eye-catching second at Cluden behind the smart filly Husette.

“I think he’s a good chance on his last run. He finished strongly behind Husette and she’s among the benchmark babies up here,” Spry said.

“It’s a very good form line and running him in that race gave us a good idea of whether he’ll measure up.

“He’s just kept improving, but he’s still immature and probably eight months off furnishing into a nice horse.”

Spry’s winning run in April is his best patch of form since relocating from Darwin to Townsville with wife Sarah and their three children last year.

He said turning over horses had been the key to winners.

“We’ve struck a good patch of form at the moment and it makes it all worthwhile. It took about eight months to work out the sorts of horses we need,” Spry said.

“I moved some horses on to the NT and elsewhere and brought some new stock in and we’ve got some nice types to work with presently.

“We’re really fortunate to have some good owners and they let me make the captain’s call with them.

“The syndicate of boys who are in Choir Boy race horses around Australia and love going to the carnivals to watch their horses race.

“Choir Boy was very impressive winning here last start and his main target will be the $100,000 2yo Classic in June.”

A heavyweight jockey, Spry took time off out of the saddle last year to freshen up body and mind and is enjoying his recent resurgence of form.

He’s riding comfortably around 57kg, but says his focus is on quality rather than quantity of mounts.

“I just needed to take some time off last year to freshen up and it did me the world of good,” Spry said.

“I’ve been happy to ride a few of mine when they have the right weights and a few for other trainers but I’ll take rides if they come my way.

“I like to have a three or so a meeting and concentrate on giving them a good ride.”

Spry also has Revenire engaged in the race of the day, the MM Weanling Sale May 20-21 Benchmark 75 Hcp (1000m) but will have to sweat of getting a run.

Revenire and the Stephen Massingham-trained fancies Full Recognition and Battle Cry were made emergencies after missing the early nomination deadline because of the May Day holiday.

In a quality line-up of winter carnival hopefuls, the dominant Roy Chillemi stable holds a major hand with leading chances Oriental Girl and Bet Of Love.

Bet On Love is fresh from a brilliant win in Cairns last month and will be out to get a Townsville monkey off her back with her first Cluden win in 11 starts at the track.

Pictured: Carl Spry with stable performer Revenire. Spry is hoping his winning run will continue tomorrow at Cluden Park.