YES I'M UGLY FLAUNTS IT AT FLINTON - A MATT KROPP AND WILLIAM KROPP STABLE UPDATE

By Graham Potter | Saturday, April 11, 2026

The Matt Kropp trained Barberofseville kicked off the month of April for the Kropp Racing stables by finishing second in a BM70 Handicap over 1630m at Doomben on April 1… and three days later William Kropp trumped that result when Yes I’m Ugly found winning form.

On the first Saturday of April … April 4 … the four-year-old gelding Yes I’m Ugly claimed the third win of his career when taking out a BM50 Handicap over 1200m in a non-Tab meeting at Flinton.

This was Yes I’m Ugly’s second win in six starts since resuming on August 25, 2025 when he kicked off his four-year-old campaign with a win at Rockhampton in a BM55 Handicap over 1100m.

In his two runs immediately prior to taking on this assignment at Flinton, Yes I’m Ugly had finished second at Rockhampton (over 1300m) and third at Dalby (over 1000) and trainer William Kropp found the middle ground at Flinton sending the son of Jukebox out over the 1200m trip.

The merit of those placed outings saw Yes I’m Ugly installed as the race favourite at $2.10 fir the second race on the card, but he did have a strong market rival in the form of Heroic Chief ($2.80), who had won two of his previous four starts … and it was Heroic Chief who set the early target, leading Yes I’m Ugly, back in second spot, by a two length margin as the second favourite took the field to the home turn.

In a strung out field, it remained a two horses race in the first half of the home straight, but it soon became apparent that Yes I’m Ugly had the measure of his rival and he duly surged clear over the concluding stages to score by 2,59 lengths under a nicely judged ride by Stacey Callow.
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One race later at Flinton, in the day’s feature race, Callow came close to landing a personal race-to-race treble aboard the Matt Kropp trained Cardiologist in the Flinton Cup Open Handicap when she guided Cardiologist (the $2.25 favourite) into a close-up second place behind the useful Esta Dia ($4) who was winning for the fourth time in a row.

Beaten but unbowed, Cardiologist maintained a run of form that has seen him finish in the first three placings in all of his last five starts.

Callow had won the first two races on the card.
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Also on April 4, the Matt Kropp trained Propose’s bid for a hat trick of wins came unstuck in the tougher metropolitan racing environment when she finished unplaced, 2.88 lengths behind the winner, in a $75 000 BM70 Handicap over 1830m at a starting price of $16.

This run did present a step up in both class and distance (from 1666m to 1830m) and it was the first time that Propose had raced beyond 1666m in thirteen starts … but, it should be noted, she does have a win over 1800m to her credit, having saluted over that distance back in October 2024 at Eagle Farm.
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At the metropolitan midweek meeting at Eagle Farm on April 8, Matt Kropp sent three runners to the city meeting while William Kropp was represented by one runner.

The best result on the day came from the Matt Kropp trained Cryption’s Desire who ran way above market expectations when finishing in a close-up second place at a starting price of $61, coming home just 1.60 lengths behind the $1.95 favourite Don’t Doubt Missy.

Cryption's Desire had got into the race as an emergency acceptor.

Propose was back, four days after her last run, persevering with the 1800m trip and improving on her Saturday run when claiming fourth place in a BM65 Handicap over 1800m at Eagle Farm, this time finishing within 1.16 lengths of the winner at a starting price of $10, with Fred Larson again in the saddle.

William Kropp also had a runner in the race contested by Propose in the form of Piston Rebel. The son of Love Conquers All came into the race as the $3.60 second favourite on the back of two promising city runs, but he failed to flatter this time and was beaten out of the placings.
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Another day. Another couple of second place finishes.

The William Kropp trained Zousain's Choice’s runner-up finish in a QTIS Three-year-old Plate over 1050m at Rockhampton on April 11 might have come with a touch of disappointment … he was the well beaten $1,55 favourite … but this was only Zouzain’s second career start, so three is clearly room for improvement and for him to reach for the potential he showed on his debut in town when he finished less than two lengths behind the winner in a Three-Year-Old Handicap over 1000m when beaten by the Ciaron Maher trained Angel Ladder.

Also on April 11, Steventown posted a promising performance when finishing second on debut at Toowwoomba in a QTIS Two-Year-Old Maiden Plate over 1200m.

The black son of Aclaim, who had won a trial a month earlier, started second favourite at $3.10, but had to give best to the $1.85 favourite Phere The Warrego, who had race experience on her side, going down by 1.19 lengths.
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In the first two weeks of April, ‘Team Kropp” thus put no less than four second places on the scoreboard … the BarberofSeville, Cryption’s Desire, Zousain’s Choice and Steventown … but, then again, second place is better than third place … and obtaining the best result possible, be it a win or a placing, is essential to keep the scoreboard moving.

That’s where second place finishes play an important role.

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