Aussie Made Lombo has been installed as a heavy favourite by TAB Sportsbet
As one of canny Clyde conditioner Jayne Davies’ happiest hunting grounds of recent years, it is no surprise that the revered Victorian horsewoman is excited to be back at Bathurst for their gilt edged Gold Series meeting this Saturday night.
A four-time Gold Tiara-winning trainer who can also count Gold Crown success among her triumphs at the Central Tablelands track, Davies returns this year with four gun runners all capable of adding to her fine record north of the border.
In the $100,000 Group 1 Crown Final for the juvenile boys, ultra impressive heat winner Soho Valencia has both the unequivocal endorsement of his handler and the draw to win his fourth race straight, while stablemate Soho Silverstone (8) faces a tougher task from his awkward back row gate.
But while Davies could scarcely be more thrilled with the former horse’s form heading into the biggest assignment of his career, she is wary of a gun young local likely to lead the 1730-metre feature field from the start.
“It is going to be tough to beat Grand Stride now that he’s drawn two,” she conceded.
“He does look the likely leader, but you never know what’s going to happen on that small track coming to the first corner and as long as Chris (Alford, driver) lobs a spot I’ll be happy enough with that.
“He (Soho Valencia) is a very, very nice horse. He won the other night with the earplugs in and Chris didn’t touch him so he’s right up there with the better young ones I’ve ever had.
“(Soho) Silverstone’s a nice horse too, but he’ll need a lot more luck than the other bloke to win from the tricky draw this weekend.”
Set to start some five races earlier than her brilliant baby pacers will be Davies’ reigning Tiara-winning filly Aussie Made Lombo in the Group 3 Gold Bracelet for the three-year-old girls.
Almost assured of favouritism for the $40,000 feature prior to barriers being allocated, the gifted daughter of former champion mare Tailamade Lombo was installed a $1.30 popular elect after plucking the plum draw (1) in TAB Sportsbet’s fixed odds markets.
While Davies was careful not to declare her dominant heat winner a certainty, she was confident that the teak tough filly was good enough to record her 14th win from 25 starts on Saturday night.
“We’re very happy with her right now,” she said. “She never comes up with a good draw, so she won’t know herself starting from there but she’s a classy, classy filly and especially with Vertigal and Artistic Rainbow drawn out the back she does look super tough to beat.”
Rounding out Davies’ quality quartet of Victorian raiders at Bathurst this weekend is much-improved APG winning three-year-old Suave Stuey Lombo in the $40,000 Group 3 Gold Chalice Final for the classic age boys.
After also drawing ideally in two, the talented trainer is conveying equals measures of confidence and conservatism about her sizzling son of Bettors Delight’s chances of success, but concedes his rapid recent improvement should see him as one of the horses to roll.
“He (Suave Stuey Lombo) is just improving all the time,” Davies revealed. “Once again we’ve come up with the good draw, which is unusual, but he’s very close to a perfect horse these days so he would have been competitive wherever he lobbed.
“No Final is ever easy and this field is a cracker but as I say he’s really on the up and we’re just looking forward to seeing how he goes.”
