Plenty of blood, sweat, and tears went into Expensive Crumpet’s maiden win at Alexandra Park on Friday, literally.
The daughter of Quaker Jet is lucky to be alive, let alone racing, after a float incident as a yearling two years ago.
“When she first came to me as a yearling, she had an accident in the float,” trainer Ross Paynter said. “There was a pool of blood on the floor.
“She came off the float and collapsed on the ground and stayed there for about two hours, she couldn’t move.”
It was panic stations, with Paynter and vets fighting to keep the young filly alive. And if it wasn’t for Paynter’s galloping pacemaker, Mossdale Nigel, they would have lost that battle.
“She cut one of her main arteries in her leg and lost a lot of blood, so she is very lucky to be here,” Paynter said.
“We had to get our galloping pacemaker to give her a blood transfusion on the spot to try and survive.
“Mossdale Nigel saved her life.”
Paynter took his time with Expensive Crumpet after the ordeal and she is starting to repay her connections, having now posted a win and two placings from eight starts.
“We didn’t break her in until she was a two-year-old,” Paynter said. “We gave her plenty of time to get over it, but it was a real life-threatening injury.
“It’s good to get the win for Tony and Anne (Parker, owner-breeders), they have been through a lot to get that win with her.”
Paynter was pleased with Friday’s win and said Expensive Crumpet appreciates Alexandra Park’s right-handed way of going.
“She went really well, she is quite a nice wee filly,” he said.
“She doesn’t get left-handed that well and we didn’t have Auckland racing for a month or so a couple of months back, so we just ended up racing her at Cambridge, but it wasn’t really her go.
“Since she has been to Auckland she has only had the one miss and has been trotting really well.
“She sat outside the leader the whole way on Friday and went really well.”
Paynter also recorded the quinella in the race, with Majestic Sunrise just a neck away in second.
Earlier in the night Paynter added another win to his tally when Molly Bones took out the Get A Couch Buddy – ATC Supports G.A.P Mobile Trot (1609m), with stablemate Anditover finishing third.
“It was a good result, they are pretty nice trotters,” Paynter said.
“Molly Bones got a nice cushy run, so she looked to do it pretty easy. She had been racing well this prep and is probably unlucky not to have won a couple already this season.
“She hasn’t gone a bad race this season. She has strengthened up a bit and I am really happy with her.
“With a bit of luck we may end up in the Jewels.”
Paynter is also hoping Anditover can join Molly Bones in qualifying for the Jewels at Cambridge Raceway in May.
“Anditover had his first run back on Friday night after having three weeks off,” Paynter said.
“He was always going to be pretty fresh heading into that race, but he went super considering where he is at in his preparation.
“We didn’t want him to be sitting three-wide the whole way, but he did and he ran third.
“He has come through it well and has eaten up everything.” – Cambridge Raceway
