Singleton sets Stock Up for first start

Scott Singleton will soon learn whether a trip to New Zealand’s Karaka yearling sale two years ago pays dividends.

Singleton brought a Tavistock filly back to his Hawkesbury training base with an eye to the future, and after a patient lead-in Stock Up starts racing at the metropolitan class meeting on her home track on Wednesday.

A $15,000 yearling, Stock Up is the first progeny Singleton has acquired out of Tavistock, the sire of Classic winners Volkstok’n’barrell, Werther, Tarzino and Tavago.

Stock Up will make her debut in the Hawkesbury Race Club Motel Maiden (1300m).

“It’s the first time I’ve had a Tavistock, but I knew I had to take my time with her,” Singleton said.

“She won a trial (in July) and I could have taken her to the races but Tavistock’s stats for two-year-old winners is pretty damning.

“They pretty much just don’t win until they’re three so we didn’t have anything to gain by taking her to the races too early.”

Stock Up is at long odds with the TAB and will jump from the widest gate in the 10-horse field but Singleton remains upbeat.

“I’ve been really impressed with her work at home with horses that have won races,” Singleton said.

“She’s drawn awkward but I think she’s going to be pretty handy when she gets past the mile into some of those 2000 metre races for fillies next year.”

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained three-year-old Sazavee will also be making her debut in the race.

Singleton is also lining up four-year-old Itasca in a Benchmark 65 Handicap (2000m), in which he will attempt his third straight victory over the distance.

“He’s going the right way. Once he got to the 2000 metres he seems to have come into his own a little bit,” Singleton said.