Goulburn preview: Jason Coyle says Expect the unexpected from $101 outsider

Trainer Jason Coyle takes two home-bred gallopers to Goulburn on Tuesday as well as a Kiwi-bred mare who he says is way over the odds.

Jason Coyle has three strong chances at Goulburn on Tuesday. Picture: Mark Evans/Getty Images

Dual Group 1-winning trainer Jason Coyle reckons the bookies have got it wrong in assessing the Kiwi-bred mare Can Expect Greater’s prospects in the “Get Out” Stakes at Goulburn on Tuesday.

“I was shocked that they put her up at 100/1,’’ Coyle said.

“Even based on her better runs last preparation and then two solid trials, I thought she could got to the races at Goulburn on a nice big track and race quite well.

“It is a competitive race no doubt, but I thought she could run a bit of a race.’’

Can Expect Greater was born and raised at Little Avondale Farm in New Zealand who sold the horse for $15,000 at the National Weanling sale at Karaka in 2021.

The son of Lost And Running’s sire, Per Incanto, resurfaced at Riverside adjacent to Coyle’s Warwick Farm stables at the HTBA Yearling Sale where he was knocked down for $50,000.

Neither of Can Expect Greater’s Goulburn-bound stablemates Nambi Ghima and Bode Akuna ever paraded in front of buyers.

That’s because Coyle bred them both.

The duo account for two of the mere eight foals that emerged from the former Coyle-trained crack colt Va Pensiero’s third to last crop.

A vastly under-utilised stallion, Coyle has been an ardent support, and at times, defender of Va Pensiero who never really got the opportunities afforded to horses with his pedigree and performance.

“I think there’s been a couple that have been hopeless but as a whole, I think they have been relatively consistent winning horses,’’ Coyle said.

One of the 2013 San Domenico Stakes and Run To The Rose most recent winning offspring was Bode Akuna, who broke his maiden at Goulburn last month despite being dismissed by most punters.

“I feel like because I started him as a two-year-old and he went so awful the market has penalised him from that day,’’ Coyle said.

“No second chances with some horses whereas other horses get twenty goes at it.

“The win was no fluke at all. His trials have always shown that there is ability there.

“It was surprising that he was able to knock his maiden off straight away but also good because he can start working through his grades.

“I would hope that maybe next preparation, you start to think about him as Midway style of horse.’’

Nambi Ghima, meanwhile, could well be about to become Va Pensiero’s newest winner when she steps out in the very suitable Goulburn Mazda & Isuzu Ute Maiden Plate (1500m) on Tuesday.

The filly finished fourth at Nowra at her most recent outing but ought to be marked up, Coyle said, given her efforts while coming back from 1500m to 1400m at the same time.

“When she got hit behind the saddle on the right-hand side she sort of veered left so if that was 1500m that day, and going straight, she probably gets a little bit closer,’’ he said.

“She was quite a leggy filly but the more racing she does, the more she learns about it.

“She is probably not too off a win and then she can get a break.”

Nambi Ghima is the fourth foal of her Coyle-trained dam Mari Pintau, preceded by the Mandalorian, Padwan and Maz Kanata.

Mari Pintau, a three times winner on the provincial circuit, foaled a filly for Coyle in the spring of 2023.

She has the honour and distinction of being the last filly Va Pensiero will father given he retired after serving just five mares during that entire season.

Armidale preview: Trainer in fast Lane to cash

Damien Lane will pick up more than 10 times what he paid for the three-year-old filly I’m Opinionated if she can shed her maiden status on a targeted trip from the Central Coast to Armidale on Tuesday.

The daughter of Robbie Laing’s former speed-machine Lord Of The Sky has already banked $6725 in her four starts.

Should she win on Tuesday, Lane’s miss will take home the $13,950 first prize as well as a welcome BOBS top up.

“That’s (BOBS bonus) is the main reason I am on the road to be honest,’’ Lane said.

“She is a filly I bought for $2000 as a yearling so she doesn’t owe me a lot but I can get a decent pay cheque out of her if she were able to win.”

I’m Opinionated’s best run of her four starts so far was her on-pace third at Dubbo on December 3.

She followed that with a distant sixth at the same venue but with excuses.

“I thought her first-up run at Port Macquarie was good,’’ Lane said.

“And I thought she went super second-up but she just didn’t get much luck at all the other day.

“She was three deep outside the leaders and it told on her late.’’

I’m Opinionated is a member of the third crop of foals sired by the Kingstar Farm resident stallion, Lord Of The Sky.

Fast and furious in his heyday, Lord Of The Sky won seven times and was runner-up on five occasions in his 32 starts.

Lord Of The Sky’s major wins came years apart starting in 2014 when he won the Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes, the 2016 Bletchingly Stakes and the 2018 Standish Handicap.

Bred by his trainer, Robbie Laing, Lord of The Sky was twice second at Group 1 level including in the first of Chautauqua’s three TJ Smith wins.

“She was only tiny when she came to the sale,’’ Lane said.

“And she was by an unfashionable sire.

“I bought her because she is a half-sister to a mare called Deep Opinions who I had and won four or five with.

“She wasn’t much to look at sales and I got her for one bid of $2000.”

Armidale will host a seven-event card today which kicks off with the short-priced Bravaro sure to take a power of beating.

Originally published as Goulburn preview: Jason Coyle says Expect the unexpected from $101 outsider