Kalgoorlie Looking For Bragging Rights In Provincial Final
19 May, 2016
Thoroughbred
Trainer Peter Fernie modestly downplays his role in reigniting the form of High Limit.
The son of Hussonet will be out to uphold Kalgoorlie bragging rights in the Skyracing TV-Provincial Championship Series Final (1400m) at Belmont on Saturday.
High Limit raced for leading Perth trainer’s Grant Williams and Simon Miller but is relishing his new environment in the goldfields.
The rising seven-year-old has won three of four starts since teaming up with the Fernie stable, including the past two in succession, ending a two year losing spell.
Fernie believes it’s been a change of environment more than any other major factor that has been the catalyst for High Limit’s form turnaround.
“He is going terrific, but he was pretty good when he arrived here from Grant’s (Williams),” Fernie said on TABradio.
“He is a bit weak and doesn’t like much work, but we have tried a few different things and it seems to be working.
“You also have to consider the class of horses in Kalgoorlie is a bit weaker than what he has met in Perth.
“Sometimes it’s the horses they compete against and not the level of improvement I can get out of them.”
In a capacity field of 16 runners, High Limit will start from barrier 12 for leading apprentice, Clint Johnston-Porter.
Fernie is confident the gelding can overcome a mini hoodoo and post the first win of his 38 start career beyond 1200m.
“I think they started him over 2000 metres as a three-year-old so they must have thought he could get a bit of ground,” Fernie said.
“When I was offered to make a purchase I didn’t like him because I thought he was just a 1000 metre horse.
“But here he is racing at 1400m which shows I wasn’t very right.”
High Limit is rated a $12 chance with the TAB. Heading the market is Steve Wolfe’s Albany gelding, Chasing Chaos, who is $3.50.
Chasing Chaos is out to record a winning hat trick and will carry top weight of 57.5kg with the claim of Tayla Stone.
Stable mate, Pin Perhaps, also has claims after consecutive second placings at Albany. The mare is currently $9.
Fernie said it’s a wide open race with many chances.
“It’s a bit hard to line up the form and see how they are going to go,” Fernie said.
“They are coming from everywhere and it looks like there is going to be a fair amount of rain.”
The Skyracing.TV-Provincial Championship Series Final is race seven of eight at Belmont
Julio Santarelli