Why Sharpe Hussler caught attention of 'Dr Nick' – doctor of winning
There’s a world of difference between “Dr Nick” and Cameron Crockett, the linchpins in the Sharpe Hussler plunge at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
“Dr Nick” is a punter in the Zelkjo Ranogajec category, some say bigger, which I doubt as even Kerry Packer didn’t invest as many millions, amounting to billions, over such a long period.
And Cameron Crockett, son of Max Crockett, a breaker who has probably educated more horses than anyone in Australian turf history, tuned Sharpe Hussler, difficult to place in the bush, to a peak performance.
Surprisingly, on Saturday morning, came a call from my mate of over a half century, Max Crockett, in a voice toned to crackling sandpaper: “Maxwell … How do you tip a 50/1 chance?”
He was calling from an Orange hospital, where he is down with emphysema, but raised a cheer when Sharpe Hussler produced a breathtaking finish to score in the Hong Kong Sprint.
Sharpe Hussler was backed from $51 to $15 in a strong betting event. On paper, the opening quote didn’t look flash about the Mudgee-trained rising seven-year-old.
Yet the gelding’s credentials attracted the attention of “Dr Nick”, whose strength has stemmed from his anonymity. Rarely does one who bets so big stay off the radar for so long.
What is he a doctor of? Winning, as far as I can ascertain.
A rails bookmaker at Rosehill was close to comatose after Sharpe Hussler and could only gasp: ‘‘Dr Nick.”
Before Zeljko, most of the big punters had nicknames, even Packer (the Big Fella). Previously, The Fireman (Eddie Birchley) ,the Hong Kong Tiger (Frank Duval) and the Filipino Fireball (Filipe Ysmael) had their bursts in betting rings.
Of course, the horse-playing landscape has changed since coups were launched at the races and the ground trembled with thousands launched. Now it is done with a trigger finger on the mobile phone or computer.
Zelkjo is prepared to play a figures game, get a percentage win on a huge outlay, hardly the action of Hollywood George Edser, who luxuriated in the gambling aspects of finding a winner.
But the excitement of huge money going on added to the racecourse experience, the sense of occasion and while Sharpe Hussler was hardly a return to the times when Hong Kong Tiger was on the snarl, it produced a spark of the good, old days.
As I said, “Dr Nick” is shrouded in secrecy. Turning to the internet for some guidance, I was presented with, amongst other pictures, an unbearded Peter V’Landys, Racing NSW’s strong man.
After the Sharpe Hussler triumph and a short stint in front of the television cameras, Cameron Crockett was on the move.
“I’ve got to get to me horse,” he panted, also being the strapper. It was vintage Crockett. The horse comes first.
But how did he turn Sharpe Hussler around? “He’s a hard horse to place in the bush because of his benchmark rating and I even suggested to the owners it could be better for him to return to Queensland,” he explained.
“However, they wanted to leave him and, having his second preparation with me, I’ve learned a bit about older horses and also about travelling them over the mountain.
“I bring a pony with him and arrived at Rosehill on Friday. The way he walked to the track on Saturday I knew he would go as well as he could and that’s what I told the owners.”
The trainer doesn’t bet, nor does his father – with one exception.
“When we were breaking the [record-priced] yearlings for Tommy [Smith] and Neville [Begg], we would go behind the tote building [where trainers could see] and race for schooners,” Max Crockett recalled yesterday.