Chance Alakazam Buy Proving A Magic Move

WHEN Adam Crouch went in search of a prized purchase for kennel clients last October, Alakazam was well removed from any potential draft class.

But following a string of "swings and misses" and with a touch of good fortune, Crouch ultimately purchased the son of Out Of Range for a cool $50,000, which on Saturday night will be chasing three straight wins at Wentworth Park as his staying career begins to take flight.

"It was around MDC Maiden time last October that we were looking to buy a high quality young race dog," Crouch said.

FIELDS AND FORM WENTWORTH PARK SATURDAY NIGHT

"I couldn't believe how hard it was to buy one. We were offering really big money and people were just flat out saying no, not even considering it.

"There was a while there I was watching as many races as I could trying to find a young standout. But we'd make offers and couldn't get anywhere."

At the time, significant six-figure offers for dogs the caliber of group 1 stars Deadly Avenger, Jungle Johnny, 29.33 MDC Maiden winner Shaula and sensational prospect Great Terms were swiftly rejected before the opportunity to acquire Alakazam "by chance" came around.

"We actually called Clinton Payne to try and buy Lyric which had just finished third in the MDC Maiden Final," Crouch said.

"But he'd done a stopper bone and Clint said there wasn't much between him and his brother Alakazam who had fallen in the race.

"So we ended up buying him and it has been great. For what we paid for him compared to what we offered for some of the others, it couldn't have turned out better really.

"I'm stoked we got him."

Alakazam, which is exhibiting all the staying prowess of his mother Kanzan, has drawn box five in Saturday night's Ladbrokes Sports Bar Stake (720m).

He takes his place off back-to-back staying wins in town, recording 42.34 and 41.99 respectively.

"He's just so clean winded," Crouch said.

"At the end of 720m he's barely even puffing and you'd hardly know he's even been around.

"There's still more improvement there and I think we've found the key to him.

"He's such an easy dog to train. Early on we were probably pushing him a bit much in his work.

"In between runs now he just has a light gallop, that's all he needs. He'd run 700m coming straight out of the paddock I reckon."

While not getting too far ahead, Crouch is starting to look at some interstate features during the second half of the year as potential options.

And Crouch, who along with father Andrew has enjoyed grand success with top liners such as Jamella Jet and Big Butters, hasn't ruled out a potential Group 1 National Championships bid either.

"That could be an option," Crouch said.

"The final is in Queensland this year so we might look to get him up there for a trial at some stage if we do go that way."