Patched winning the Trotters Sprint at Pinjarra Photo by Photography by Jodie Hallows
Patched has really hit his stride and on Monday March 3 at Pinjarra, the eight-year-old claimed the square trotters feature on the card, the DFG Legal Trotters Sprint for David Young and Aiden De Campo.
“He’s going really good, we had a few things, he was just going through the motions and I made a decision in the middle of December when he ran second behind Hold That Gold and he should have won, and I thought it’s either one of two things, either somethings niggling him or I need to change his work and I’ve made a few changes, and changes his workload and regime and it seems to have clicked with him.”
“He’s in a good head space at the moment, and he’s just one of those horses, I think when he gets his confidence up, he can still do this.”
“It’s pretty clear that when he’s at his best, he’s still the best trotter here.”
Although 12 months ago he had a few tricks up his sleeve when it came to the mobiles, Young was impressed in yesterdays run that he didn’t join the other runners when they broke at release point.
“Touch wood, he’s actually been pretty good the last 12 months, he used to gallop a lot from them (mobiles) and I still wouldn’t trust him if he drew barrier one to get away, but luckily enough he can only really draw barrier one in the metro Trotters Sprint, but everything else he has to draw wider because of his rating.
“Old Patched with those horses galloping around him would have gone out in sympathy, he’s handling things a lot better, but he is a better stand horse.”
A change of head gear has accompanied the change of training as well, and with three wins in his last four starts, it appears David Young has found the trick for his trotters’ success.
“A couple of runs ago we had him in an open bridle, and then the Trotters Cup night I had the murphy blind back on him and he wanted to get up the track, and then I went back to just putting the dolly varden blinkers on him.”
“When he got beat by Nickys Son three runs back, I had the one-eyed blinker on him and Aiden said all he wanted to do was go the other way and run off the track, a bit doggy, so I went back to the dollys.”
“He won off the 60m two runs back and he had the dollys on again yesterday.”
“He will have another couple of runs with them on and then it might be time to put a hood on him, he’s just a bit old and cunning.”
