Warwick Farm preview: A four day delay seen as a plus for hot-tempered Lull
A power outage ended the planned return for the Ciaron Maher-trained Lull but the delay could work in her favour as she steps out on her home track.
Godolphin filly Lull had a false start to her campaign on the weekend and the Ciaron Maher stable are hoping for a little more luck for take two.
Lull was due to have her first start for Maher at Kembla last Saturday and was behind the barriers before the meeting was sensationally called off to power outages in the area.
The filly will run in the Benchmark 72 Handicap (1000m) on her home track and Maher’s Sydney assistant trainer, Johann Gerard-Dubord feels the four day delay won’t make any difference.
“Mentally, it would have done her the world of good because she is a hot kind of filly and it would have taken a bit of freshness out of her but still having a fairly easy day,” Gerard-Dubord said.
A dominant win from Raging Force in the Rosehill opener - that's three from three, and he's living up to his name! 💥@TommyBerry21@SnowdenRacing1@Darby_Racingpic.twitter.com/rpl7b3ekOF
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The daughter of Exceed And Excel was a winner at Kembla and third to Raging Force at Rosehill in her first campaign for James Cummings before transferring to Maher.
She had one trial for her new stable at Rosehill on October 24 when an eased down fourth to Phearson.
“It was a good trial. She is a filly who has a lot of gate speed but she can just overdo it a little bit and she travelled very strongly.
“We just wanted to give her a fairly easy time and that’s why Tommy (Berry) just sat on her late.
“She will need a little bit of luck from a tricky gate but she is a nice filly going forward.”
War King was also due to run at Kembla and he was also an acceptor at Newcastle on Sunday but the stable elected to wait for this meeting and run in the Maiden Plate (1400m).
“It was disappointing what happened on Saturday because it looked the perfect race for him. We elected to scratch from the wide barrier.” said Gerard-Dubord.
“This is a nice race for him, the only thing is the draw. Hasn’t had much luck with the barriers.
The three-year-old resumed with a handy third behind Pimlico at Kembla before a fourth to Big Tiger at Rosehill.
“He is going well and is still improving,” he said.
“He doesn’t do anything really wrong but he’s still a bit new and the penny hasn’t dropped yet.
This one's go something by So You Think.
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Big Tiger (3c So You Think x Stormy Choice) for @GaiWaterhouse1
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“Whatever he does, he is a horse who has got plenty of talent and is learning and still improving. There’s a lot more to come from him.”
The Gerry Harvey-bred and owned Misty Veil was game in defeat first-up and is a leading contender in the Maiden Handicap (1000m).
The daughter of Wootton Bassett raced outside the leader when beaten a nose by the well-backed debutant Daring Fellow at Wyong on November 16.
“She there nothing between them the other day.” Gerard-Dubord said.
“She is a filly who has always shown a lot of talent but she can do a lot wrong too.
“At her first start at Newcastle, the horse next to her played up in the gates and they had to be backed out. After that, she just lost it a bit and over did it on a heavy track.
“She was a bit keen in both her trials but first-up at Wyong she settled very well.
“We are keeping her at the 1000 metres, if she can relax as well as she did first-up, she’s got talent so she should run very well.”
Mediterra is in the same race but the stable will also weight up an option at Hawkesbury on Sunday.
“Things didn’t work out for her in her first preparation. She has come back a lot stronger this time in and she is another who has talent,” he said.
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It’s been 13 months since Kingston Charm last tasted victory but trainer John Thompson has been pleased with her efforts and looks to have found the ideal race for her to get back to winning form.
Kingston Charm stormed home to win the Four Pillars at Rosehill on November 2 last year but has managed just two placings in 10 starts since.
One of those unplaced runs was a handy two-and-three-quarter length fifth behind Konasana after coming from last in record time in the Group 3 Belle Of The Turf and she was good when fourth to Djapana in the Midway at Newcastle on The Hunter Day last start.
“She has been going well. A couple of ordinary runs on wet tracks which she doesn’t like but when she’s run on dry tracks, she has been running well,” said Thompson.
“She will get those suitable conditions again this week and she is in good order.”
It's Kingston Charm's Four Pillars in a thriller, as @ZacLloydx rides a double!@JTRacingRwik | @aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/WYgVtEULhI
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The six-year-old drops back to midweek grade in the Benchmark 72 Handicap (1600m) with Nash Rawiller to take the ride from barrier 3.
“It has been a while since she won and she is just placed so well here,” he said.
“It’s a good opportunity to hopefully get back to the winners stall.”
Hellbent On You was very good during the autumn and winter including a first-up win at Hawkesbury and Thompson feels she is set for another solid campaign when she resumes in the Benchmark 72 Handicap (1200m).
The daughter of Hellbent has trialled smartly in both heats this time with a half-length second to Century Song in her Kembla trial before flashing late for third to Snack Bar in her Hawkesbury heat.
“She goes well fresh and has been trialling up nicely without too much pressure,” he said.
“She has drawn out but gets back anyway so the barrier isn’t a huge deal.”
Arizona Loner may have finished last of the seven runners behind Namaste on debut at Canterbury on November 14 but Thompson was quite pleased with the run and expects a bold showing in the Maiden Plate (1400m).
“Canterbury is probably not his ideal track but the last little bit of the race was his best. He really ran through the line,” he said.
“If you tack on an extra 150 or 200 metres to that race and he is finishing a lot closer.
“He gets that extra distance this week which will help him.
