Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
The Group 3 $50,000 Easter Cup on March 29 is the target for Lucca, who maintained his excellent form with a strong win in the 2503m standing-start Private Functions Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Pinjarra trainer-reinsman Bill Hayes has given Lucca an excellent diet of standing-start racing to prepare the New Zealand-bred five-year-old for the Easter Cup, a stand over 2503m. Lucca’s past five starts have all been from a stand, and the American Ideal gelding got away smoothly from the inside of the 10m line on Friday night.
Lucca, the $2.30 favourite, settled down in seventh position, with Navy Street, a $12 chance, beginning speedily from the 10m mark, setting the pace and defying an early challenge from $14 chance and last-start winner Burghley Shard.
Hayes started a three-wide move approaching the bell and Lucca surged to the front with 450m to travel and went on to win convincingly by 4m from the $12 chance Fly To Fame, who ran home strongly after trailing the pacemaker all the way. The final 400m was covered in 28.6sec.
Lucca, owned by Dan Walsh and his sister May Leitch, has earned $102,735 from ten wins and eleven placings from 29 starts.