AFTER a torrid start to his trip west, The Cleaner is settling into his adopted home as he prepares for Saturday’s Railway Stakes at Ascot. Trainer Mick Burles says The Cleaner endured a harrowing three and a half hour waiting in a float before being loaded onto the plane.
Burles said The Cleaner went off his “head” in the truck as he was the last horse loaded.
“He put his head through the rook of the truck. He never hurt himself, but he really went off and his was dripping wet,” Burles said.
“The plane didn’t worry him at all, but it was nearly 14 hours from the time they picked him up until I got to the stables in Perth.”
But, Burles said The Cleaner travelled okay on the plane and had not missed a beat since settling into Fred Kersley’s stables.
“He’s pretty happy within himself and he’s eating well. I’m pretty keen on him,” Burles said.
Burles said The Cleaner will work tomorrow’s ‘breakfast with the stars’ ahead of the barrier draw.
“Fred says if you don’t draw a barrier here you can’t win, but they don’t know this horse either.”
The Cleaner, to again be ridden by Steven Arnold, has been backed from $7 to $4.20 favourite for the $1 million race.