Perth galloper ready for Melbourne debut

Warrnambool trainer Jarrod McLean and Perth’s Lindsay Smith have struck up a rapport in recent years.

When McLean travels to Perth with a team of Darren Weir’s horses for the summer carnival he stays at Smith’s property at Casuarina outside Perth while Smith stayed with McLean when he brought Scales Of Justice to Melbourne for last year’s spring carnival.

McLean has been the beneficiary of the odd horse from Smith with the latest acquisition Trap For Fools making his eastern seaboard debut in the Travis Harrison Cup at Moonee Valley on Saturday.

Trap For Fools hasn’t raced since finishing sixth in the Perth Cup in January and has been with McLean around a month.

“He’s in great shape,” McLean said.

“Lindsay did most of the work with him before he came across.

“He’s got that good base of fitness on him and it’s a matter of seeing how he measures up here.”

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Trap For Fools won a Lark Hill barrier trial in early May before finishing sixth in a Werribee trial behind Danon Liberty on May 28.

McLean said the trial was sound but added the gelding may prefer something longer than Saturday’s 1600m.

“He’s been sent over as there’s basically a lack of races in Perth for him because of his rating,” McLean said.

“He needs to improve to measure up over here and we’re hoping he can.

“The plan is to have a fit horse in the early part of the spring and target some of the second tier staying races.

“He needs further than 1600 metres but he’ll roll forward. I don’t know if he’s quick enough to lead but he’ll race handy and he’ll keep whacking away.

“I expect him to run well.”

If successful on Saturday it will be Trap For Fools ninth win for the season, the most by an Australian horse, one clear of champion Winx and north Queensland’s Mason’s Chance who runs in the Battle of the Bush at Doomben on Saturday week.