Castana’s ready to ‘explode’ after finding his mojo
Garrick Knight - Raceform • August 1st, 2025 10:18 AM • 4 min read
The experience of Pukekohe trainers Dave and Clare McGowan is being tested as they attempt to work one of their stable stars, Castana, back to form.
The seven-win trotter, with more than $100,000 in career earnings, has caught the eye hitting the line stylishly in his last two runs, both times against strong fields at Alexandra Park.
He returns there on Friday night and the hope within the stable is that he is close to returning to the winner’s circle.
“We’ve just been shaking the fizzy drink the last few weeks, building him up, getting ready to explode,” Dave McGowan told RaceForm. “Whether that lid comes off this week will be up to the trip he gets.”
McGowan says Castana had been going through a flat patch earlier this year and despite his and wife Clare’s years of experience as trainers, they can’t be certain why.
“It was like his desire to be there disappeared a wee bit. We still haven’t worked out why and we’ve just been working to get his mojo back.
“That means regularly changing what we do with him and driving him with cover, so he’s not exposed too soon in a race.”
Stable junior driver Taitlyn Hanara knows the horse well and will continue her association with him in this week’s $20,0000 Lone Star Alexandra Park Handicap Trot, the feature race on a small card of just seven races.
“Taitlyn drives him all the time and she agrees that his mentality has changed recently. His last two or three runs were really good.
“Three back the fence would be wonderful.”
McGowan admits the horse has the ability to be competitive in the top trotting ranks and from where his career started, it hasn’t quite gone as he had hoped or planned.
“I thought he would be in the top grade by this point; he’s got enough speed to be thereabouts with the best ones. He’s always trotted beautifully and that’s never changed.
“Now it feels like we’re heading back in that direction; he’s got his mojo back, his bouncing around the place and acting pretty cocky.”
Stablemate It Ain’t Me Babe is in the same race, second-up after winning her resumption from a spell over a month ago.
“We have had a lot of problems with her. Nothing ever major, just little things at the wrong time.
“We had to scratch her a few weeks ago because she was showing signs of a foot abscess, but it just turned out to be bruising.
“The attitude is not the problem with her; it’s her body letting her down.”
With her ability not in question, McGowan says her record of four wins from 31 starts sells her short.
“When everything is right with her, she’s a very, very good mare.
“She also had to have an operation to correct a breathing issue and hopefully with that behind us she can started performing like we know she’s capable of.
“I’m really happy with her fitness and she’s trotting really good.”
Veteran reinsman Todd MacFarlane will partner It Ain’t Me Babe once again.
Earlier in the night, the McGowans have a maiden in the $15,000 Classique Landscapers Trot.
Pirayas (Todd Mitchell) ran third two starts ago. He was pulled up three weeks ago when flatly refusing to trot off the mark and driver Taitlyn Hanara was cannoned in to by another horse.
“He doesn’t normally wear an overcheck but had one on that night and even walking around waiting for the unruly horses you could see him putting his head up in the air.
“It was certainly not him – he’s usually so reliable and doesn’t make mistakes.
(The team originally had four runners in this race but Vacation, Home Grown Girl and Memories have all been scratched)
The McGowans are working 23 at present – mostly trotters – and the horse that is potentially the best of them will step out in public for the first time next week.
“He’s an unnamed Classic Connection two-year-old that came over from Aussie and is owned by Yabby Dam Farms.
“I think he might be a bit special,” McGowan predicted.
