Counter Pulse to make interstate debut

Clare Lindop’s push for a fourth Adelaide premiership has been momentarily put on hold, with the jockey choosing to head interstate to continue her association with in-form sprinter Counter Pulse at Flemington.

Lindop shares the lead with Jamie Kah in South Australia’s metropolitan premiership with just over a month of the season remaining.

But Lindop will miss Saturday’s Morphettville meeting to ride Counter Pulse in the Country Achiever Gerald Egan Handicap (1100m) in Melbourne.

“He has done well enough and Clare is confident enough to follow him over,” co-trainer Andrew Gluyas said.

“He’s drawn her out of Adelaide.

“She thought about it. They have a good relationship, and she decided to ride him.”

Counter Pulse has won 10 of his 24 starts, including five from eight this campaign, and is set to compete interstate for the first time.

Saturday’s race, which has attracted a full field of 16 plus two emergencies, is a heat of the All Victorian Sprint Series with the Listed $150,000 final of the series on July 8.

The training partnership of Leon Macdonald and Gluyas won the All Victorian Sprint Series Final three years ago with Nearest To Pin.

“He’s in excellent form,” Gluyas said.

“He has won five of his past seven starts so we believe he deserves a crack at the series, and he has to run this week to make the final.

“He’s deep into his preparation but he’s giving every sign he’s enjoying his racing and he appears to have trained on well.”

Counter Pulse’s past two wins have been over 1250m on the Morphettville Parks track.

“The 1100 metres is probably not ideal and the straight is always a question mark,” Gluyas said.

“Getting back to 1200 would be best for him but we just have to get through Saturday and see what happens.

“Hopefully we can get through the next couple of weeks and he can win a good race that we believe he deserves.”