No Winterbottom Stakes blues for Crippalenko says Beauglehole

As a Carlton tragic, Greg Beauglehole’s memory of the clubs epic 1970 Grand Final comeback will last forever.

Considered one of the great VFL Grand Finals in history, the Blues overcame a half-time deficit of 44 points to score a remarkable come from behind victory over arch rivals, Collingwood.

Such is Greg Beauglehole’s love and affection for Carlton, he named his Maschino gelding, Crippalenko after two club heroes, Alex Jesaulenko and Western Australian-born, Patrick Cripps.

The high flying Jesaulenko, whose spectacular mark in the match is folklore, is an AFL Hall Of Famer while Cripps, the current captain is a two-time Brownlow Medalist

On the racetrack, while competitive, Crippalenko has yet to reach the star power of his namesakes, but that could all change if successful at Ascot on Saturday.

At odds of $126 in the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m), that seems highly improbable, but don’t tell Beauglehole Crippalenko can’t win, or you might be met with the same physical ferocity as shown by Jesaulenko and Cripps on the footy field.

From his low profile set up at North Boyanup, Beauglehole goes up against some of the big names of Australian racing, Baker, Neasham, Archibald and Begg and the best of the locals, Parnham, the Williams’ and Wolfe, but he dares to dream.

“We dare to dream and I always thought he was good enough to be a Winterbottom horse,” Beauglehole said to Racing WA.

“You can’t win these races unless you are in it and I don’t think he’s there to make up the numbers.

“I believe if you’re scared of your dreams, you’re not having a crack.

“I think he has the talent to be there and what you have to realise with racing is that there is no certainty to win and there’s no certainty to lose.

“I’m not into nominating them just to say I’ve had a horse in the Winterbottom or anything like that.”

Crippalenko’s ambitious Winterbottom bid commenced first-up in Kalgoorlie last October after he won the $100,000 Ron Sayers Sprint before backing up in town and going to the line first at Ascot.

He then elevated to stakes company with a creditable third behind Winterbottom rival Bravo Centurion in the Prince Of Wales Stakes (1000m) before not getting the favours when unplaced in the Colonel Reeves Stakes (1100m).

“He goes into it with the timing pretty right and he’s got the race fitness,” Beauglehole said.

“He had a couple of little issues in the Prince Of Wales, but I think we’ve sorted that out.

“If he was 100 per cent right he would have won that.

“Last start in the Colonel Reeves he got absolutely poleaxed there, so the forms great and he’s beat some good horses.

“He’s in the field because I think he’s a genuine Winterbottom horse and he’s not there to make up the numbers.

“I’d be pretty disappointed if he ran last by a long way or something like that, don’t worry about that.

“This is not only a horse, but I also bred him, I birthed him, grew him and he’s turned out to be a great horse.”

Crippalenko gets the services of jockey, Pat Carbery again. The pair formed a winning combination in the opening two races of the preparation.

In a field of 16 starters, Crippalenko will jump from barrier eight.