Talented sprinter Lhasa (Hellbent) is a force to be reckoned with on Cambridge’s synthetic track and he brought that form to the turf at Trentham on Sunday, taking down a quality field in the IRT 1200.
Prepared by Mark Treweek, Lhasa had recorded each of his four prior victories on all-weather at his home course, while Trentham has also been a happy hunting ground, picking up placings behind the likes of Nereus, Loch In Ora and at his most recent start, Platinum Attack.
Despite the form on course, Lhasa was slightly underrated in the market for the open handicap and closed at $9.80, with Insatiable on top at $4.30. Carrying just 53kgs courtesy of Tayla Mitchell’s one-kilogram claim, Lhasa crossed from a wide gate and sat outside of Idyllic, who showed her customary speed up-front.
Mitchell began to stoke up Lhasa as they neared the course proper and he continued to build that momentum in the straight, the gelding still having plenty in the tank to hold off Silent Is Gold and a storming Insatiable at the post by a half-neck.
Treweek had been confident in the gelding’s trackwork and was rapt to see that transfer to race-day.
“He’d worked very well during the week and he always races well fresh,” he said.
“We thought that with the lightweight on, the instructions were to go forward and get going when you get across the crossing, and go for it. We had to go forward just with the way they are racing today and it paid off.
“She (Mitchell) rode him 100%, I’m very happy.”
As a 75-rated galloper prior to the race, Lhasa will be up to open company and Treweek hopes to return for the upcoming feature meetings on the champagne turf.
“I’m hoping that because I’m friends with Bruce Sherwin (chief handicapper) that he will be nice to me (with ratings), but probably not,” Treweek quipped.
“I’d love to come back for the next two meetings if there is something for him.”
A five-year-old by Hellbent, Lhasa was co-bred by Kia Ora Stud in Scone and is raced by the Treweek family. In 23 starts, he has earned over $120,000 with five wins and six minor placings.
