By Neil Evans
Connections are banking on the addition of a barrier blanket to switch on talented four-year-old mare The Halo when she lines up at Thursday’s feature Wyong meeting.
The Halo has long been an impressive line-hitter, but she has struggled to make good starts and a mishap three weeks ago in heavy ground prompted the move.
Brad Widdup’s galloper The Halo has scored only two wins from 14 career starts. Credit: Getty
After that race at Kembla, stewards reported she had been difficult at the start, beginning awkwardly and losing significant ground.
From that point on, she was significantly eased around 300m after the release before over-racing for much of the 1300m journey.
Yet despite those setbacks, The Halo still let rip with a big finishing burst from near last, incredibly beaten only a long neck into third place.
It was another eye-catching reminder of this galloper’s power and ability, and it’s been frustrating for the Brad Widdup team at Hawkesbury that she still has only two wins from 14 career starts.
That said, The Halo has tackled deeper opposition this prep, including a Provincial Midway Championship heat two starts back at Newcastle, since a dominant Class 1 win at Wyong in Benchmark 64 grade in mid-January.
Three weeks between runs, she now reloads in another Fillies and Mares BM 64 Hcp over 1350m in one of the more open races on the program.
And with three kilogram-claiming apprentice Jasper Franklin aboard to offset the big weight, The Halo looks very hard to beat.
She’ll need some early luck from a wider draw, but some of her better rivals are also drawn out.
Progressive filly and fellow Hawkesbury raider Resistible comes off two close second placings this prep, but is faced with an even tougher draw.
Capable Warwick Farm four-year-old Beirut Miss resumes off two improving trials, but is also drawn out near the car park.
It might all play into the hands of emerging home-track mare Takara Star, who steps up in grade after back-to-back wins at Muswellbrook and, importantly, has drawn the fence.
