Olympic Korchnoi goes from Brazil to Hong Kong to Adelaide to Cairns in Townsville Cup quest
No horse in Saturday’s $150,000 Townsville Cup has clocked up the kilometres Olympic Korchnoi has in a career which saw him run second in the Group 1 Brazil Derby in 2021.
A Group 1 Brazil Derby placing is hardly the typical formline for a Townsville Cup, but trainer Trevor Rowe reckons his globetrotter Olympic Korchnoi could be the one to break his duck in the North Queensland feature.
Rowe, who trains in partnership with his son Peter, has won most races in the north, but never a $150,000 Townsville Cup (2000m) and has one of the most unlikely challengers seen in the race.
Olympic Korchnoi is the $1500 online purchase who began his career in Brazil, stopped off in Hong Kong before making the move to Adelaide and the Sunshine Coast before finally calling Cairns home.
“He won a race in Brazil and placed in some Group races there, then he went to Hong Kong, but never raced there and I’m not privy as to why he didn’t,” Rowe said.
“After that he went to South Australia, I spoke to the trainer there (Phillip Stokes) and he said the horse needed gelding at the time, but he got moved on.
“About a year later he turned up at the Sunshine Coast and had one start where he was beaten over 1400m and he went for public auction, where we got him for $1500.
“He has paid for himself, that is for sure.”
The seven-year-old has won three times since arriving at Rowe’s stables and relishes getting over a staying trip.
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Rated a $23 chance on Saturday, and with Tyler Leslight to ride, Rowe is champing at the bit to land the feature race that has been the itch he hasn’t been able to scratch for much of his career.
“I’ve never won a Townsville Cup. I have won the Cairns Cup (2016) and Townsville Amateur Cup (2015) with Chateau Dettori, but the Townsville Cup and Cleveland Bay have eluded me,” he said.
“He has drawn not as well as I would have liked (10), but it isn’t too bad either.
“We normally ride him up on the pace, but there are some speedy horses in the race so we will reconsider how we ride him I would say.
“I’m happy with the way he has progressed, even if his last run was disappointing, but I don’t think the race was run to suit him.
“Small fields aren’t truly run races, but cups are.”
Rockhampton galloper Namazu is going for three straight wins in the race, but will have to carry 62 kgs from barrier 12.
Originally published as Olympic Korchnoi goes from Brazil to Hong Kong to Adelaide to Cairns in Townsville Cup quest
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