With Country Championships on almost every trainer’s mind Grafton based trainer Scott Henley is on the verge of seeing what is a well set out plan come to fruition.
Henley has long thought his stable star Volcanic Love was the ideal horse to have a crack at a Country Championship and his preparations since his 2yo year have been about aiming him at the race.
The first two tricks keeping his racetrack appearances to the required number of starts and keeping him eligible by number of wins at sixteen career starts and four wins the strategy appears on track.
Many will tell you Lismore can be a tricky track to handle. Henley was well aware of this fact when he elected to head there with Volcanic Love in late December.
On that occasion Volcanic Love started a short priced favourite and toyed with his rivals over 1110m but more importantly Volcanic Love had ticked the Lismore box.
The gelding should have won at Coffs Harbour on Pink Silks day but as they say that’s racing.
Henley was convinced that Volcanic Love needed a tough run as his final lead up to the Country Championships heat and decided to head to Doomben on last Saturday in a strong Class 4 1200m rather than tackle what looked an easier option at Grafton on Monday.
In the end Henley proved to the master planner with Volcanic Love scorching down the centre of the track to score a very impressive victory.
As they say ‘I love it when a Plan come together” and whilst far from being over the line at least team Henley and Volcanic Love are in the box seat to have a decent crack at the Country Championship heat at Lismore on February 22.
