by Mike Love
Ashburton trainer Laurence Hanrahan will head to Phar Lap raceway today with some solid chances, including Mighty Flying Lou in the Timaru Nursery Stakes for 2 year olds.
The Sweet Lou colt kept up the lethal Laurence Hanrahan/Ricky May combination when he won on debut at Ashburton last week, and will look to go back to back today with Gerard O’Reilly in the bike, while Ricky May is sidelined through suspension.
“He’s trained on well since Ashburton. But it is a nice field today,” said Hanrahan.
Hanrahan has always had an opinion of the colt.
“He’s a nice strong type of horse with a bit of speed and an unbelievable heart rate,” said Hanrahan.
On debut, Mighty Flying Lou settled back for driver Ricky May from the outside of the front line. Still dead last at the 400m, May did not press the go button until the top of the straight where Mighty Flying Lou picked them up brilliantly to win by ½ a length from Thor.
“Leo O’Reilly broke him in. And he’s developed into a really nice horse.”
Owners Russell Beardsley from Ashburton and Diana Pye from Geraldine had success in recent years with Hanrahan, part-owning Last Of The Mohicans, and for Beardsley even further back to The Tough Nut in the late 90’s and early 2000’s.
“Russell has been with me a very long time, he’s been a very loyal owner. The three of us raced a few out of the mare Jaclyn Del that we had success with. But this is the first one we’ve gone and bought at the sales.”
Of the main dangers today Dawson for Tony Stratford, Major Hot for Mark and Nathan Purdon, and It’s Tough for Colin and Julie De Filipi will look to give a good account.
“Major Hot looks the hardest to beat. If we run second to him we will be very happy.”
Hanrahan lines up 3 other runners in addition to Mighty Flying Lou, which he says will all have their chances – perhaps apart from Tanzania, though talented, finds himself in a compromising position taking on multiple race winning horses at only his fourth start in the Timaru Summer cup.
“He’s (Tanzania) been thrown under the bus, having only his fourth start against horses that have won five or six. But where else do you go? We will look to get a run on the fence and see where he finishes.”
In race 5 Woodbine Rocks is rated a solid chance by Hanrahan.
“It’s a race he gets into nicely. His work is very good. If things go his way he should be in the finish.”
In race 10 Kalasa will look to settle much handier than in his recent start at Ashburton where he powered home for second from well back.
“He’s got a nice draw. If we were to run in the top three or four I’ll be very happy too.”
