By Craig Kerry
Lekvarte has already stamped herself as a valuable broodmare prospect with three group 3 wins against her own sex over a mile.
Warwick Farm trainer Joe Pride now wants the icing on the cake for the six-year-old grey and believes “she should be very hard to beat” when chasing it in the $1 million group 3 The Gong (1600m) on Saturday at Kembla Grange.
Jockey Josh Parr and Lekvarte after their win in the Angst Stakes..Credit: Getty Images
The New Zealand-bred Reliable Man mare came from well back to finish sixth, 2.7 lengths off winner Atishu last start in the group 1 Empire Rose at Flemington, and she flashed home out wide to win another mares race, the group 3 Angst, at Randwick two weeks earlier.
Both trips were over The Gong distance, leaving her well-placed on Saturday in the male-dominated feature. Ciaron Maher-trained Vivy Air is the only other mare in the field.
Pride was pleased with the barrier nine draw for the backmarker, which was a $10 chance with Josh Parr in the saddle.
“It’s the ideal draw for her,” Pride said.
Lekvarte trainer Joe Pride.Credit: Getty Images
“She goes best when she can accelerate from the second half of the field. She’s drawn to land there, midfield, maybe a touch worse.
“She’s a miler, that’s her trip, and it will be an improving track there. Josh knows her really well, so she should be very hard to beat.
“She’s won three group 3s at a mile, so hopefully this will be a fourth because this one is worth a fair bit more than the others. It’s an important run for her, prizemoney-wise.”
A $210,000 buy from the 2020 Karaka sales, Lekvarte will go past $1.5 million in winnings with victory in The Gong.
‘She’s a miler, that’s her trip, and it will be an improving track.’
Trainer Joe Pride
Pride hopes to also run King Of The Castle ($10), which needed two scratchings to make the field.
“I hope he gets in because if he runs in the consolation, he’s got 63 kilos to carry,” Pride said.
“He won that consolation race last year after missing out on the run, so I’m hoping he squeezes in there because he’ll be a bit dangerous from an inside draw [in three].”
Dragonstone was fourth in the $300,000 The Warra last year for Pride and will have another crack at the 1000m group 3 on Saturday. The six-year-old is a last-start winner over 1100m at Randwick in another $300,000 dash, on Melbourne Cup day.
“He’s good, he’s done well since cup day,” Pride said.
“He’s in the right grade, he’s drawn well, and he’ll run really well. He’s a good, honest horse.”
Pride said Private Eye will race on to the group 3 Festival Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill next Saturday after his disappointing run in The Hunter (1300m) last week. Coal Crusher, which was a gallant third in that race, has been spelled.
Pride, meanwhile, is adjusting to life without one of his best helpers, 18-year-old son Brave, who has started a three-month stint with the Hayes brothers at Lindsay Park in Euroa, Victoria.
The trainer said the stay could be longer but “I don’t think he will want to be missing out Coal Crusher and Ceolwulf in the autumn” back at home.
He wanted Brave to do more working trips, even overseas, to build his maturity and racing experience.
Back to The Gong, and trainer John O’Shea hoped to have Tom Sherry aboard Lion’s Roar.
Sherry was down to ride Mighty Ulysses for Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald in the race, but the Moonga Stakes winner, drawn in 20, is expected to be saved for another day.
A scratching will bring Maher-prepared Glory Daze into the race and give him five runners.
