Trusted Partner will target the Ramornie Handicap at Grafton
Trusted Partner produced an impressive all the way win in the listed Lightning Handicap at Eagle Farm on June 11 to deliver the rookie trainer his biggest win.
Foster, who is based on the Gold Coast, is in his first full season as a trainer, and has just eight horses on his books. He only recently added Trusted Partner to his stable, after the gelding had previously been trained by Ray Besanko, Garry Dickson and Darryl Caldwell.
“He started off racing in Brisbane but then went to north Queensland and ran second in the Cleveland Bay at Townsville last year,” Foster said.
“He was then taken to Melbourne but he didn’t handle it down there so his owner ended up bringing him back to Queensland. He’s had a few leg issues since I got him and I have to take him to the beach three times a week.”
Trusted Partner has an enviable race record with eight wins and two places from a total of 17 starts. He was dominant on the north Queensland racing scene last year, winning six out of seven consecutive starts on the Townsville track. The most notable of his Queensland wins came in the Townsville Lightning over 1000m.
Trusted Partner also won a Benchmark 82 race at Moonee Valley last year before being sent back to Queensland.
Then in just his fourth metropolitan race he was able to salute in the Eagle Farm Lightning, which included proven stakes performers Temple of Boom, Carry the Clubs and Facile Tigre.
Foster, who was an apprentice rider in Adelaide before weight issues forced him to retire, will be hoping Trusted Partner can transfer his 1000m form to the 1200m, $130,000 Ramornie.
All of Trusted Partner’s eight wins have come over the 1000m trip. Although he has had just the one start at 1200m, finishing second in the Cleveland Bay Handicap at Townsville.
