Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Powerful pacer Lavra Joe is in the twilight of a wonderful career, but he has a perfect opportunity to bounce back to winning form after drawing the prized No. 1 barrier in the $50,000 Lord Mayor’s Cup over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Owner-trainer Ray Jones has engaged Kyle Harper to drive the eight-year-old who will be making his second appearance in his current campaign.
Lavra Joe was racing first-up after ten weeks off the scene when he began from the back line and settled down in ninth position before coming from sixth at the bell, four back on the pegs, to finish an encouraging fifth behind Magnificent Storm in the 1730m Village Kid Sprint last Friday night.
He has been raced sparingly since his most recent victory when he led from barrier two and beat Machnificent at a 1.57.5 rate after final quarters of 28.3sec., 27.8sec. and 28.1sec. 13 months ago.
“Sometimes it takes Lavra Joe a few runs to get to his top,” said Harper. “But his run last week was good when he ran home quite strongly which gives me a bit of confidence.
“I think he has a good each-way chance. I’d like to lead because that’s where he has always done his best. That would be the ideal option. The draw helps a lot, and if the best version of him turns up he will be pretty cheeky to beat.”
Drawn alongside Lavra Joe at barrier two is another eight-year-old in the Dylan Egerton-Green trained and driven horse, Otis, who has been out of the winning list since he finished strongly to defeat Acuto over 1730m on August 2, 2024.
Otis now has a losing sequence of 28 (including 12 placings) but showed he is a worthy candidate in this week’s Lord Mayor’s Cup after racing in the breeze outside the brilliant Magnificent Storm and fighting on to finish third behind that pacer and Hotly Pursued last Friday night.
“He sat parked outside Magnificent Storm all the way last week and did an excellent job,” said Egerton-Green. “I don’t think that there are too many horses who would want to sit outside Lavra Joe (providing he leads). I would be happy for Otis to race in the breeze again this week.”
Sorridere, trained and driven by Aiden De Campo, will have many admirers after he surged home from eighth at the bell to win from Franco Encore and Better Eclipse over 1730m last Friday week. He is handily drawn on the inside of the back line and should enjoy a good trip.
“Sorridere was really good at his last start,” said De Campo. “This is a good draw and all he needs is a bit of luck.”
Ace trainer Justin Prentice has added considerable interest to the race in which he will be represented by Mighty Ronaldo, Rolling Fire and The Iron Duke, who will be racing first-up, and under the preferential barrier draw regulation will begin from the three outside barriers on the front line.
“They didn’t have long off and I’m happy with where they are at,” said Prentice. “It’s a big test for them from wide draws, but I’m happy with their work.”
Eight-year-old Mighty Ronaldo, a winner of 17 races and $1,061,352, will be appearing for the first time since finishing third behind Minstrel and Magnificent Storm in the 2536m WA Pacing Cup on December 12.
Prentice is following the same pattern with Mighty Ronaldo, who in the past two years has reappeared after a spell in the Lord Mayor’s Cup, following contesting the WA Paing Cup at his previous starts.
“Mighty Ronaldo should be the best of the stable’s runners; he has the runs on the board, but he has the worst draw (No. 9),” said Prentice.
Mighty Ronaldo will be driven by Trent Wheeler, with Deni Roberts engaged for The Iron Duke, and Robbie Williams for Rolling Fire.
“Rolling Fire’s recent work has been as good as he has ever worked,” said Prentice. “He feels nice and sharp but, in this class, he needs a good draw or if the race is run upside down.”
The Iron Duke has impressed, with his eight starts in WA producing five wins and two placings. “He has never raced in Free-For-Alls, and this is a bit hard for him from a wide barrier and racing against horses like Lavra Joe and Otis who have been racing in Nullarbors and Pacing Cups,” said Prentice.