Mossman clicked into gear for a Group 1 double in May with his 33rd stakes winner at Toowoomba on Saturday.
The Vinery sire’s classy two year-old Crack Me Up was runner-up to Spot The Diff at Doomben on April 2 but turned the tables with a convincing victory in the LR Dalrello Stakes (1200m). “He was immature earlier this season and a spell did him the world of good,” trainer Liam Birchley said. “He was suited with the pace on today and I am sure he will get further than 1200 metres.”
The Dalrello Stakes was run at breakneck speed which suited the backmarkers. “He was helped a lot by the pace up front,” Birchley said. “He’s a nice horse and is quite the professional.”
Crack Me Up (2g Mossman – Chuckle by Danehill) is a younger brother to Hoofit who won the G3 Bonecrusher Stakes in NZ before relocating to North America where he added the G3 Phoenix Stakes at Keeneland.
He cost $60,000 at the 2015 Gold Coast Magic Millions and Saturday’s victory earned him a crack at the major juvenile races during the Brisbane winter carnival. Birchley won last year’s G2 Champagne Classic with Blueberry Hill (Myboycharlie) and that’s an option again at Doomben on May 14.
Birchley will keep raising the bar with Crack Me Up in the G2 Brisbane Sires’ Produce Stakes (1350m) on May 28 leading into the G1 J J Atkins Stakes (1600m) on June 11.
Mossman’s last Group 1 winner in the juvenile ranks was Mossfun in the 2014 Golden Slipper Stakes.
Champion sprinter Buffering starts a big month for Mossman in the G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize at Sha Tin on May 1. His Tassie star Admiral is also being set for a Group 1 in the Goodwood at Morphettville on May 21.
