Trainer Tony McEvoy is hopeful that last season's smart juvenile Crockett is back on track following his barnstorming win in a benchmark 70 over 1400 metres for three-year-olds at Flemington on Saturday.
A winner over 1000 metres at Morphettville Parks when making his career debut in October last year, Crockett backed that up with a second to Ef-Troop in the Listed Phelan Ready Plate at Doomben two months later.
His form tailed off at the back-end of the season and there was little in his recent form to excite punters on Saturday.
Given a cold ride from an outside barrier by Regan Bayliss, the son of All American has just one runner behind him on the turn.
Pulled to the centre of the track by Bayliss, Crockett only really got into his work in the last one hundred metres but when he did it was game over.
He came clear to defeat the favourite O'Tauto (O'Lonhro) by three-quarters of a length with Muswellbrook (Denman) a long-neck back in third. (photo Grant Courtney)
"It's frustrating when you have these horses with a lot of talent that just go into the wilderness a little bit," McEvoy said.
"I couldn't work out why he wasn't running well - the change of scenery with the switch to Melbourne, he really turned up today.
"I wanted to see him hit the line so I said to Regan just be patient and if we don't win I want to be finishing off so we have something to look forward to."
Bred by Arrowfield Pastoral & Planette Thoroughbred, Belford Productions, Crockett advances his record to 2 wins, 1 second and 1 third from 8 starts with earnings of $131,000.
A $180,000 purchase by McEvoy Mitchell Racing out of the Arrowfield draft at the 2017 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Crockett (pictured as a yearling ) is the first foal of the unraced Street Cry (IRE0 mare Tuusula who is a sister to Group 1 MRC Thousand Guineas winner Stay With Me, out of the Champion mare Miss Finland (Redoute's Choice) whose 11 wins and $4.6 million career, were highlighted by the Golden Slipper and the VRC Oaks.
Tuusula has a 2yo Dundeel filly named Tuudelu and a yearling filly by Dundeel.
She missed to Shalaa (IRE) last season and two weeks back boarded a plane for Japan.
