In July 2004 local galloper Forestreno raced to a maiden victory during the renowned Grafton Cup carnival.Just three days later the great Takeover Target thrilled country race fans with his victory in the time-honoured Ramornie Handicap.Fast forward to 2010 and Forestreno will be back in action at Grafton for the seventh straight Cup carnival when he makes his fifth appearance in Wednesday's $130,000 Listed Ramornie (1200m).Trainer Phil McLeod, who bred the gelding, has made country racing's fea
In July 2004 local galloper Forestreno raced to a maiden victory during the renowned Grafton Cup carnival.
Just three days later the great Takeover Target thrilled country race fans with his victory in the time-honoured Ramornie Handicap.
Fast forward to 2010 and Forestreno will be back in action at Grafton for the seventh straight Cup carnival when he makes his fifth appearance in Wednesday's $130,000 Listed Ramornie (1200m).
Trainer Phil McLeod, who bred the gelding, has made country racing's feature sprint a yearly target for the now eight-year-old and is quietly confident this year can be fifth time lucky.
Forestreno was runner-up to the Paul Messara-trained Battlefield 12 months ago in his best Ramornie finish to date.
That came after a 3-3/4 length fifth in 2008, 1-1/2 length fifth in 2007 and 2-3/4 length ninth in his first try in 2006.
"Bad barriers have beat him in the past," McLeod said.
"I thought the year The Jackal won his second Ramornie (2008) he should have won. We drew barrier 13 and The Jackal had barrier three. Had he drawn better in the past he would've finished even closer than he has, I think."
McLeod has long aimed to win the Ramornie but Forestreno has been the only runner the trainer has started in the race.
"He's the only one I've thought was good enough to run in it," he said.
Forestreno has started four times this preparation in the lead-up to Wednesday's race in which he has drawn barrier 10 and will be ridden by top Brisbane jockey Glen Colless.
The eight-year-old was beaten 6-1/4 lengths in the Group Three Healy Stakes in Brisbane last start but the race was dominated by boom sprinter Hay List who won by five lengths.
Ramornie second favourite Pinwheel was 1-1/4 lengths ahead of Forestreno in the Healy and meets the McLeod-trained gelding a kilogram worse at the weights.
McLeod said Forestreno's Healy performance, when he ran on to finish fourth, was arguably his best run leading into a Ramornie in the past five years.
"It was outstanding, in my opinion," the trainer said.
"That horse (Hay List) could have carried 68 kilos and still won the race - that's how good he is.
"But he (Forestreno) was close up with the others, he was the widest into the straight and he really put in."
And then, of course, there's the home track advantage in the Ramornie.
Forestreno's 13 starts at Grafton in the past seven years have netted five wins and three placings.
"He's always been competitive, he just loves this track," McLeod said.
"I don't know if it's because he's trained here, but he just loves it."