Hutton: stalled Engine will be back on track soon

START THE ENGINE, who completed an 11-race winning run when winning his last start on December 7 at Oxford, has been on the easy list since, with trainer Kevin Hutton playing things cautiously with his prolific dog.

“Start The Engine just picked up a couple of niggles, nothing major, a couple of little things the physio picked up on,” he said.

“He’d had such a great run and everything, so with the winter coming we just thought we’d give him a good rest and start again when the weather improves. 

“We were thinking of the Winter Derby at the time, but obviously that’s too late, so I think we’re just starting back at Oxford and see where it takes us.

“The opens haven’t been filling well at all there of  late so that might well force our hand into taking him somewhere else, but I think we’ll just play it by ear with him for now.

“The quick tracks, your quick 480s say, might be okay for him. He was actually starting to get a little bit stronger as he went on, but obviously we’ll have to see what happens when he comes back again.”

Hutton had Kranky Drake on duty in last night’s Winter Derby semi-finals at Monmore, and whatever his fate, feels there is still plenty more to come from a performer he rates extremely highly. 

“Monmore’s not his track at all, to be honest, but he’s really, really short of work, so we thought we’d put him in and see what happens,” he said.

“All being well he’ll probably go to Central Park [for the Kent Plate] and then on to the Derby. 

“He’s our Derby dog, but I do like Rebel Alaska as well. I think we’ll have a good year. Him and Kranky would be the two main ones for sure.”

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