She Can Skate carries Wheeler family hopes

Thursday 28 November 2013, 1:59pm

She Can Skate is like a member of the family in the Wheeler household where Geoff is the trainer, son Reece the jockey and mum Debbie is a part-owner.

With Geoff's only other horse, Dramastic, in semi-retirement, the four-year-old stakes winner is his centre of attention.

Wheeler, 59, who retired from forklift driving this year to take up training full-time, has no plans to expand the stable.

He says with his four sons all gone from the family home he has no offsiders to share the workload.

"It's difficult to train a lot horses when you have no-one to help," he said.

Wheeler teams up with Reece on Saturday in the East Malvern Community Bank Hcp (1100m) where She Can Skate, who resides in Robert Smerdon's Aquanita stables at Caulfield, will carry 59kg.

Over her nine starts, She Can Skate has won four times and placed in another three races, including a third in the Mumm Stakes at Flemington during the Melbourne Cup carnival.

She Can Skate was run down 50 metres from home in her last outing - the Group Three Kevin Heffernan Stakes - at Caulfield on November 16 to finish sixth.

"We drew wide, and maybe that told, but we had to ride her differently and a little bit harder," Wheeler said.

Wheeler says he can't do much about She Can Skate's front-running style.

"She jumps and rolls and goes hard - it's up to her," Wheeler said.

"I don't want to change her running style - whatever she does Reece is happy to look after her."

Saturday's race will give Wheeler an idea where She Can Skate sits in this preparation.

"I'll see how she handles it - I don't know if she needs a break or we keep going with her," he said.

– AAP

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