Father-son team kick off with graded stakes double

Many people fall sick with love for horses, but if the infection happens in childhood it's usually incurable.

- Mike Moon

One such is James Crawford, who grew up literally at the hooves of horses, in various stables, as his father Brett climbed the precarious career ladder of a racing trainer.

On Saturday, for the first time, James had his name printed alongside his illustrious father's in the racecard at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth - a training partnership of the sort that is becoming more popular these days.

Yet few such partnerships start with the bang of "Team Crawford". How about Grade 1 and Grade 2 victories on day one?

A trademark pillar-to-post gallop saw Oriental Charm land the WSB Green Point Stakes, a historic weight-for-age race. The current Durban July champion lined up alongside just five rivals at the mile post at the scarcely believable odds of 6/1. The four-year-old colt had not seen a race meeting for six months and had barely started his summer season preparation.