Junee trainer-driver Bruce Harpley remains optimistic about Sokys Bigbullet’s immediate future after finishing fifth at the Cherry Festival Cup in Young on Friday.
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Sokys Bigbullet had featured in the top two in his previous eight starts, but wasn’t able to claim glory against a field Harpley had described as the toughest the local horse had faced in “a couple of years”.
The local horse was no match for $1.50 favourite Parramatta NZ.
He went quite well but the race really wasn't run to suit him.
- Trainer-driver Bruce Harpley
The hot field also included a strong Western Districts contingent as well as some raiders from Sydney.
“He went quite well but the race really wasn't run to suit him,” Harpley said.
“The two favourites got out front and no one could do anything about it, he wasn’t forward enough to be in it.
“But he was one of the few horses that made a little bit of ground on them.”
Harpley said Sokys Bigbullet would only continue to improve and had plenty of success to look forward to.
“Having known him all my life, when we finished up in Young I just thought to myself that he actually went quite well and wouldn’t be far off from heading to the city,” he said.
“I feel like he has come back very strongly this year, he was a bit more one dimensional in previous years but last season he improved a lot and showed a lot more strength in the longer distances.
“He was more of a short distance horse before that but he ran some really big races over the longer distances last year and he’s become a bit more versatile now.”
Sokys Bigbullet was runner-up in cups at Albury, Leeton and West Wyalong last season before winning at the Coolamon Pacers Cup.
The seven-year-old previously resumed from a spell with a win on his home track this month.
The $2.50 favourite scored a 1.7-metre victory at Junee, an effort which Harpley said could be improved upon.
