Promising three-year-old stayer Lucan will join his stablemate Chattahoochee in feature races at Ellerslie next month after collecting an eye-catching maiden victory at Tauranga on Sunday.
Te Awamutu horsewoman Debbie Sweeney lined up three runners in the Mills Reef Maiden (2100m), with Lucan the second-elect of her string in the market behind Protheatrics. The son of Proisir brought good form into the race and regular rider Joe Doyle managed him well in the early stages, getting the diminutive gelding to settle near the tail of the field.
Denver controlled the pace up-front and led into the turn, where Lucan found himself last with plenty of ground to make up. Doyle took the shortest route on the inside and the gelding showed a tidy turn of foot at the end of the middle-distance contest to pick up the leader, scoring by a long neck at the line, with Protheatrics back in third.
“It was a really good effort from him, he’s been going good races and just seems to over-race a little bit, but he was a little bit better yesterday with his racing manners,” Sweeney said.
“There’s still plenty of improvement to come from him once he puts everything together, he’s only little but he tries really hard and is pretty tough.
“It was nice to get that win with him and he was pretty impressive, it was a nice ride from Joe as well as he’s not the easiest horse to ride. He does a great job with him.”
With minimal three-year-old stakes racing opportunities left for the season, Sweeney is considering a tilt at the Gr.3 Trelawney Stud Championship Stakes (2100m) at Ellerslie on April 19.
“Time is going to be on his side, but there is a three-year-old 2100 at Ellerslie on the 19th and we may look at going there,” she said.
“They’re only three once and it’s nice sometimes to give them that opportunity before he heads to the paddock.”
The Sweeney-Doyle combination were back in the winner’s circle in the last at Tauranga, combining with promising galloper Willit in the Super Liquor Greerton (1200m).
A lightly-raced son of Swiss Ace, Willit’s debut victory came on a heavy surface last year and Sweeney intended to have him back for the winter months, kicking off earlier in March. Despite favouring the cut in the track, the gelding put his talent on display on top of the ground on Sunday, travelling on-speed and kicking strongly to edge out Dua Dance by a neck.
“He’s a tough horse and I’m looking forward to stepping him up over more ground this preparation,” Sweeney said.
“When we get some rain about that will certainly help him, but it was a good effort yesterday and he probably won’t race again for three or four weeks now.
“He’s one to watch out for over the winter.”
Sweeney’s stable star Chattahoochee has also pulled up in good order from his run at Te Aroha on Saturday, where he carried the 60kg topweight and faded after leading up in the Open 1600m contest. A winner of seven races, the Reliable Man gelding remains on target for the Gr.3 Manco Easter Handicap (1600m) on April 19.
“He’s pulled up well, it was hard with the weight, and he was giving away six or seven kilos,” she said.
“The plan wasn’t to lead, but Courtney (Barnes, jockey) said he just put himself there. In saying that, the result would’ve probably been the same, and I think the weight just told in the end.
“He’s going to head to the Easter now, a shower of rain heading into that race would certainly help him but he’s a very honest horse that tries hard so I’m pretty sure he can bounce back.”
