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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Cameron Crockett has no doubt consistent galloper Titration has a Highway win in him but is going back to Plan B as he heads to Muswellbrook on Sunday hoping to notch a breakthrough victory.

Trainer Cameron Crockett (Pic: Bradley Photos)

The five-year-old has raced nine times since joining Crockett’s Scone stable for seven placings, including two at Highway level, and he said the preparation has been a bit disjointed due to being balloted or made an emergency in Class 3 Highways in recent weeks.

“It’s been a little by design trying to target the Highways which has caused it,’’ Crockett said.

“I’d just hate for the horse to finish his career and not have a couple of decent cracks at Highways.

“He’s always been competitive in those races, we’ve planned towards Highways and we missed a few which hasn’t helped his prep because we’ve had him ready on those days.

“So you start chasing your tail with fitness because you miss a gallop here or there planning to go to the races instead.”

Titration, a winner of two from 22, lines up with top weight in the Godolphin Handicap (1450m) on the back of being a beaten favourite in a 1280m Benchmark 66 at the last Muswellbrook meeting two weeks ago.

It was planned that he’d back up from that race into a 1400m Highway at Randwick last week but didn’t gain a start.

“I think the race looks all right but it certainly hasn’t been a target race,’’ he said.

“Everything was going well into his first-up run then we missed a run here or there.

“It’s a big advantage when you get them into Highways while they are down in the weights but when you’re on the fringe like him you run the risk of not getting a run.”

Crockett puts Titration’s last start defeat down to missing a run when balloted from the Gosford Highway back on May 6.

While he regards Sunday's assignment as a winnable race, Titration was $2.60 with TAB on Saturday, he said things are still going to have to pan out for the gelding in run.

“He’s got good gate speed, he normally settles handy, but he’s not a horse that’s got a great turn of foot,’’ he said.

“He travels like a horse that’s got a great turn of foot but he’s not. He was a little flat footed the other day when they sprinted.

“I don’t think he put the white flag up the other day he just felt the pinch a bit.”

Meanwhile, Crockett is heading out to inspect Scone Cup winner Commando Hunt in the paddock on Monday as he prepares to bring him back into work for his crack at the $3 million Big Dance in November.

Titration runs third at Muswellbrook on May 21

Commando Hunt is the only horse to have won two Big Dance eligible races, having also won the Muswellbrook Cup, and Crockett said he prefers to have the gelding in the stable with some time on his side to guard against setbacks.

“I want enough time to be fourth or fifth up going into the Big Dance,’’ he said.

“I always find if we bring him in early you’ve got that three weeks up your sleeve because inevitably you get to a point where you’ve got to smooth something out. If we have any setbacks there’s plenty of time to sort them out.”

Commando Hunt is a $15 chance with TAB in the Big Dance which is run at Royal Randwick on November 7.

All the fields, form and replays for Sunday’s Muswellbrook meeting