Lennytheshark and Chris Alford in full flight up the Melton straight.
The random barrier draw gods have smiled upon David Aiken and Lennytheshark ahead of tonight’s VHRSC Golden Reign Free-for-All over 2240m.
Chris Alford, the man whose association with Golden Reign was so famous, would love to win the race named in that goliath’s honour and, at $1.20 fixed odds from the pole, there won’t be any excuses tonight.
Alford has won nine races aboard Lennytheshark and trainer Aiken says the son of Four Starzzz Shark is in great order after a Len Smith Mile third placing last month.
“We were rapt with his run up in Sydney in the Len Smith Mile and the plan was always to give him this run tonight and then aim at the 4&5YO Championship next week.”
Lennytheshark won the Championship last year and following his attempted defence of that race next week Aiken says the five-year-old may be spelled before a tilt at Grand Circuit races later this year.
“We’ve got to decide whether we go to Perth so we’ll have to decide what we do next,” he said.
In-form It Is Billy is second-favourite with the TAB in the Golden Reign FFA at $6.50 but reinswoman Anne-Maree Conroy isn’t confident of causing an upset.
“It would be very difficult,” she said.
“We’ll need luck to beat Lennytheshark.
But It Is Billy is fit and in-form. If the draw was the other way around maybe we could have made more of a race of it. We’re tickled pink with how he’s going.”
