Three-year-old filly Exciteanation, who lines up at Narromine on Sunday, has been through the wars, literally.
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Trained by Cameron Crockett at Mudgee, the daughter of Excites lines up in the Narromine USMC Vietnam Veterans Maiden Plate (1100m) with champion jockey Greg Ryan in the saddle.
Due to a litany of minor problems Exciteanation has been limited to just one career start since being purchased as a yearling for $15,000 at the Magic Million sales on the Gold Coast.
That produced an encouraging third to Chrysolaus over 900m at Scone in October, 2013.
Following the run, Exciteanation pulled up with bad shin soreness.
"She could hardly walk the next day," Crockett said.
"We tipped her out for an immediate spell."
Coming back in for her second preparation, the filly again went shin sore and was spelled again. The same thing happened again, then due to the way she carried her head Exciteanation developed holes in the side of her mouth inside the gum from the bit Crockett was using.
She then developed an infected tooth, further delaying her comeback.
After winning a trial at Wellington in September 2014, Exciteanation strained a muscle in her hind quarter and was struck down by a virus. She again headed to the spelling paddock.
"They were all insignificant types of things but were enough to stop her," Crockett rued.
"While she'd never run sensational times on the track, I always had big raps on the filly, just because of the way she went about everything.
"She's a real class horse. She looks like a real racehorse."
This time in, "touch wood," Crockett suggested, Exciteanation has had no problems.
Crockett has managed to get two trials behind the filly, the first at Wellington in late March and the latest when she led throughout to defeat open class performer Landucan over 1000m at Mudgee on April 5.
"She's ready to go to the races," Crockett added. "She jumped three or four in front in the trial before Greg (Ryan) took hold of her, then in the straight when the others started coming she accelerated again and held them.
"Greg said the trial win was very good. He was full of praise for her.
"I couldn't be happier with her at the moment."
