Show’em Earnest with Matthew Allen aboard return to scale after their gutsy win in the last race at Pakenham on Friday. 77130Picture: David Nagel
By David Nagel
PAKENHAM trainer Cameron Templeton believes a new attitude has been the secret to Show’em Earnest changing from ratbag to racehorse after the gelding scored a gutsy win in the last race of the day, the $12,000 J Duff and Co 0-62 Handicap (1300m).
Like Jeune De Coeur in the previous race, Show’em Earnest has been a busy galloper in recent times with Friday’s victory his ninth run this preparation but it’s the mental more than physical side of things that have clicked in recent times. Templeton explains.
“He’s always had ability but he’s just been a child mentally, we’ve got into his head now and away he’s gone,” Templeton said.
“He’s happy to be a racehorse now instead of a rat-bag.”
The six-year-olds turnaround has been quite remarkable, before this preparation the son of Hemingway had been around 14 times for a solitary victory with no placings. His record this time in is nine starts for two wins, two seconds and three thirds but it was his last start seventh at Sandown that most impressed Templeton.
“He was three and four wide the whole way, he faced the breeze and you needed cover that day, there was a strong cross breeze blowing but he still got home enormous, he stepped home in 23 seconds,” he said.
“If he gets cover he gives that race a real shake.”
Show’em Earnest was wide once again in Friday’s race before kicking clear in the straight and then holding off Grand Ransom with Ripa Artois back in third place. The win gave jockey Matthew Allen a winning double, a feat he shared with Andrew Mallyon.
Templeton has no plans to give his noble steed a rest.
“Why tip them out if they’re going well, he’s only getting older and likes the firm footing so we’ll keep him going until he tells us otherwise,” he said.
“At the moment he just keeps putting his hand up.”
