By Neil Evans
He was caught “up the creek without a paddle” at his last provincial start, but a smoother tide awaits promising four-year-old Creek when he lines up at Thursday’s feature Hawkesbury meeting.
That day in a class 1 over 1400m at Newcastle, Creek was caught off the track with no cover yet still managed to run home hard and only miss by just over a length.
Racing returns toHawkesbury on Thursday.Credit: Phil Carrick
It was another little snapshot into a Godolphin-based galloper whose best times still lay ahead despite only having the one win so far from 10 career starts.
Prior to that when resuming he had broken through in emphatic fashion sweeping home from further back at Newcastle in a handy Super Maiden line-up.
It’s been something of a work in progress since Creek – well named being out of the mare Rillito, which is Spanish for ″little river″ – switched from the stable’s Victorian base earlier in the year.
He finished close up in two Super Maiden runs at the provincials in late autumn before spelling, but has seemingly come back a stronger and more determined galloper, and can eye off a midweek city start by conquering a benchmark 64 for the boys over 1300m at Hawkesbury.
A powerful finisher by Sidestep, Creek opened around $3.40 with bookmakers ahead of Missile Defence ($4.20), who resumes as a gelding off a long spell, and lightly raced Brutal Bowler ($4.40), who is second up. And he could well provide the first part of a race-to-race running double for Godolphin at Hawkesbury.
Immediately after, progressive three-year-old Obscure will be out to make it two straight wins in a competitive benchmark 64 for the fillies and mares over 1300m.
Obscure reloads a fortnight after a breakthrough win at Kembla.
