Run Legless returns to scale after his Mudgee win and will back up at Muswellbrook this Monday. Photo: courtesy racing.photography.com.au
LUKE Griffith will bypass Rosehill to start Lotseventy in next Monday’s $17,000 Mangoola Coal Gyarran Benchmark 70 Handicap (1280m) at Muswellbrook.
The Scone trainer believes Skellatar Park’s track might offer a drier surface for his gelding.
“Yeah he’ll probably go around there,” Griffith said yesterday.
“He’s a big horse who will carry a bit of weight too.”
Griffith expects the gelding to be allotted a big weight and will book 2kg-claiming apprentice Serg Lisnyy to ride his galloper.
“I did have him nominated in a Benchmark 80 at Rosehill on Saturday but that’s a pretty strong race and rain is forecast down there Friday or Saturday.
“He doesn’t like it wet.”
Griffith will have a number of runners on Monday, including last-start Mudgee winner Run Legless.
The four-year-old gelding son of Youthful Legs won his third race at Mudgee in Saturday’s 1600m GC Cox Family Plate, a benchmark 60 handicap.
“He won well,” Griffith said.
“And he pulled up great.
“He had a nice run.
“ Greg (Ryan) rode him well.
“He’s a horse who has to be on the speed and was looking for a mile.
“He might have turned the corner now.
“He’s won three races from 21 starts and hopefully he’ll go on with it.
“He’s one of those horses who had to mature a bit and seems to be hitting the line a lot better now.”
While Lotseventy was one of 14 nominations in the Gyarran, Run Legless was one of 22 for the Invermein Benchmark 55 Handicap (1500m) on a day where the Muswellbrook Race Club received 124
nominations.
“Not too bad,” club CEO Helen Sinclair of the nomination list.
“The colts and geldings maiden handicap (1000m) had just six noms and the 2YO (6) was light too.
“They’ll both be extended (11am today).
“It’s going to be a big couple of days for us though. We’ve got a lot of entertainment.”
The club races Monday with its Gyarran meeting a big community fund raiser in aid of the Muswellbrook Hospital, Beyond Blue and other local charities.
ABC radio’s Craig Hamilton will be special guest, with Murray Hartin the emcee (in the community fundraiser) at that meeting while a Muswellbrook/Melbourne Cup calcutta will be held in the Silks marquee after the Monday meeting.
Gary Harley will run those Calcuttas as a prelude to the big Muswellbrook Cup meeting on Tuesday, nominations for which close 11am today.
MANGOOLA COAL GYARRAN NOMS
* Benchmark ratings listed where available
Battle Street 62 (John McNair), Double Five 67 (Tom Ollerton), Final Conflict 60 (Mack Griffith), Fireball 64 (Jan Bowen), Fort Sumter 61 (Pat Farrell), Honour Ron 67 (Max Boland), Last Rain 59 (Robert Davies), Lotseventy 74 (Luke Griffith), Preparation (Sue Grills), Scussy Moola 67 (Peter Bloomfield), Shadow Buster 66 (Troy Hall), Solitaire Princess 65 (Greg Bennett), Tree Fern 65 (Sue Grills), Twin Zero 62 (Leon Davies).
