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Trainer Joseph Ible
Pic: Steve Hart

A pair of Godolphin discards have found their niche in country racing and bring spectacular revivals to the TAB Highway series at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Tamworth based Carillon has been a bargain buy for astute Craig Martin with a powerhouse winning local double and ‘ups the ante’ into a TAB $75.000 Class 3 1400m episode.  Likewise Seeblume, originally a $240.000 Sebring yearling purchase, also banished to the sales by the elite international organisation, returns to town after winning a September Highway for Canberra’s Joe Ible.

Early career both sprinters failed to measure up to the lofty standards set by the latest Melbourne Cup winning stable. Provincial failures as favourites deemed them below city class for the ‘blue army’. However Martin and Ible after extensive research, were confident of success at a suitable level. “Myself and a racing mate looked at the background of a heap of them at the sales and I kept coming back to this gelding,” Martin explained. “The way it’s worked out, we’ve got a nice horse at the right price. “He’s closed off really strong at both wins, so he certainly deserves a crack in better grade for that level of prizemoney. “I wasn’t real keen early on, but after a let up, he’s developing into a really nice horse for us. “Saturdays is not a big field with a lot of pace, maybe Sugar Dance leads. “We’ll likely be looking to settle midfield with cover and yes he’s has been strong and we’re nicely in at the weights”. Carillon certainly is. His limit 53kg reduced further by Sam Weatherley’s 2kg claim after carrying 59kg and 58kg for dominant wins over 1300m at Armidale and 1400m at Tamworth.

Meanwhile an upbeat Ible says it’s about “finding the right balance” with Seeblume who was highly impressive from rearward winning a series 1500m at Saturday’s venue on September 22. She had been nominated since but failed to accept. “She’s a lightly framed mare- needs her runs spaced and recovery time, but we’ve found the right balance,” Ible says. It’s a matter of when she’s ready to go and she’s is off a nice barrier trial. “I’m confident she’s run really we’ll. “It’s not a big field, so the wide barrier isn’t a concern.” Seeblume carries 58kg for in form Nick Heywood who takes over from her last start winning jockey Hugh Bowman. The world’s number one rated rider was hit with a suspension from the Melbourne Cup.  Meanwhile in early TAB Highway markets, Seeblume is at $8 and Carillon a $7 chance.

View the fields for Rosehill Gardens here