Croupier ready for Rough Habit test
Richard Edmunds - Raceform • May 16th, 2025 4:00 PM • 3 min read
The connections of promising Kiwi three-year-old Croupier will get a clearer idea on Saturday of whether their Queensland Derby ambitions could become a reality.
The lightly raced son of Ace High will step up to 2000 metres to contest Brisbane’s traditional Derby lead-up, the Gr. 3 Rough Habit Plate at Doomben.
Croupier was bred by Nearco Stud and originally offered by Curraghmore at the 2022 National Weanling Sale at Karaka, where Beaufort Downs bought him for $15,000. He returned as a member of the Beaufort Downs draft for Book 1 of Karaka 2023 and was knocked down to Andrew Campbell and Tommy Heptinstall for $160,000.
Trained by Campbell at Otaki, Croupier made his debut with an eye-catching finish for fifth in a strong three-year-old race over 1200 metres at Trentham on March 29. He closed to within three-quarters of a length of the winner Super Photon.
Croupier scored impressive back-to-back wins in his next two starts over 1400 metres at Trentham and 1600 metres at Ellerslie, then embarked on his Queensland quest. His first start on that side of the Tasman produced an encouraging fourth over 1600 metres at Eagle Farm on May 3.
“We were pretty happy with his performance that day,” Campbell told RaceForm on Tuesday. “He got held up in the straight, and instead of trying to come up the inside like he did, he might have been better to go out wide. Nothing won along the rail all day, and he’s still a big, green horse who probably needs that bit of open air.
“But it was still a really creditable run and a good way for him to kick off his Queensland campaign. He’s done absolutely super since then. We took him to Doomben this morning and had a lovely hitout on the course proper. It was an awesome gallop. I don’t think he could be going any better.”
Despite being a son of Lady Zafira, who won the Listed Pegasus Stakes over 1000 metres and finished fourth in the Gr. 1 Telegraph, Campbell believes the Ace High influence will lift Croupier to greater heights over longer distances.
“I definitely think getting up over further than a mile is going to be absolutely ideal for him,” he said. “I’ve been itching to get him up to 2000 metres and beyond. Provided he makes the field on Saturday, we’re finally going to get that opportunity.
“The Derby is obviously the plan. He’s still got to put his hand up and pay his way, but that’s what we brought him over for and he hasn’t given us any reason to give up yet.”
The Rough Habit Plate drew 23 nominations on Tuesday, with Croupier sitting in 14th to earn a spot in the 16-horse field. Remarkably, 14 of those 23 entries were New Zealand-breds – Croupier, King Of Thunder, Beau Dazzler, Real Class, Imperialist, Our Benefactor, Scintillante, Maison Louis, Rogan, Liberty Park, Deep Focus, Existential Bob, La Cometa and the Kelvin Tyler-trained Freddie Time.
Another Rough Habit contender, Belle Detelle, was born in Australia but bred and owned by Nick Bishara and Matt Duffie. The daughter of Zed is a three-quarter sister to 11-time Group One winner Verry Elleegant, and she showed some of the family ability in her own right with victory in the Gr. 3 Adrian Knox Stakes at Randwick last month.
