DESPITE relinquishing the training reins to Chris Svanosio, the good times continue to roll for Robert Rothacker and his much-loved pacer Repeat After Me.
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The eight-year-old gelding notched career win number 17, from 88 starts, in the TAB Multiplier Pace (NR 80 to 94) at Tabcorp Park Melton on Saturday night.
It was the son of Modern Art and Aniteattheopera's second win in 18 starts since the Serpentine-based Rothacker handed over the horse to Svanosio, formerly from Bendigo, but now based at Romsey, midway through last year.
Rothacker, who owns and bred Repeat After Me, said the decision to have someone else train the gelding was a logical one on at least two counts, including his farming commitments.
"Just being a farmer and having plenty to do, sometimes the (horses) get put on the back-burner a bit," he said.
"The reason I handed him over to Chris is that before they brought in this new rating system, there would be races at Mildura say twice a month, at least once a month at Swan Hill, and the odd race at Bendigo, Ballarat, Shepparton and places like that where you could take him.
"When I looked up races for the month of July, I could race him twice at Mildura and once at Swan Hill and there was not a race anywhere in the country for him, except to have to go to Melton on the weekend.
"I'm 66 now, I don't want to be dragging a horse down there every weekend - there are other things in your life, so I made the decision to send him down to Chris.
"Even now, in his last 30-odd starts, he's only had a good draw about four times because of his national rating.
"If there were a few more random barrier draws it would make it so much better for not just my horse but a lot of horses."
A model of consistency throughout his racing career, which kicked-off with a win at Swan Hill as a late three-year-old, Repeat After Me has been placed in the top three at 48 per cent of his career starts.
It's a record Rothacker believes vindicates his and now Svanosio's careful management of the horse.
"He's been pretty well looked after all of his life without racing every week and wearing him out too soon," he said.
"He's going as good as he has ever gone in his life at the moment.
"If he had raced a little earlier, he might have won another $50,000 more than he's got in the bank.
He's going as good as he has ever gone in his life at the moment.
- Robert Rothacker
"But I don't believe in racing them too early because the time they are five-year-old a lot of them get burned out.
"The thing I like about him (Repeat After Me) is that when he gets out on the track he is all go."
Repeat After Me will be chasing back-to-back wins at Melton when he lines up in the Group 3 Pure Steel (2240m) on A.G. Hunter Cup night this Saturday.
The gelding has twice before successfully backed up a win, but not since his dual victories at Menangle in May 2018.
Rothacker hopes Saturday is just the start of a big weekend, with a half-brother to Repeat After Me, by leading sire Captaintreacherous, set to go under the hammer at the Australian Pacing Gold sale at Oaklands Junction on Sunday.
"Hopefully we'll get a few dollars there," he said.
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