Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Star pacer Lavra Joe has thrived on a new training regime, the brainchild of his owner and trainer Ray Jones, who is confident that the past month in a new environment and having a daily swim in the ocean will prove to be a formula for success.
The success that Jones cherishes so dearly is victory in the $300,000 Retravision Fremantle Cup over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Lavra Joe, a WA-bred five-year-old, has won at 28 of his 52 starts, including five group 2 victories and five wins in group 3 feature events. But a group 1 win still eludes him, with six attempts at that level producing a second placing and five unplaced efforts.
Lavra Joe’s prospects soared when he drew the prized No. 1 barrier, and champion reinsman Chris Lewis will be hellbent on setting the pace and holding his eleven talented rivals at bay.
On Friday night Lavra Joe will be having his first start for 28 days — since he was the $2.90 favourite in the group 1 Golden Nugget when he had a torrid run, racing three wide early from barrier four in an unsuccessful bid for the lead, and then again challenging hard, and unsuccessfully, later in the first lap and being forced to work hard in the breeze before wilting to seventh behind Himself.
“After that hard run I decided to give him a quiet time, four days just taking it easy,” said Jones, who moved Lavra Joe from his normal home in Greenbushes to the 150-acre property Jones has 90km west, close to the coast at Busselton.
“For the past month Lavra Joe has had a daily swim in the ocean, not swimming really; it is more like paddling. He doesn’t like swimming too much; it’s a bit scary. He won’t let anyone on his back , and I just walk in front of him in the water. This has been the first time he has ever gone to the ocean for a swim.
“He is as bright as bright and has enjoyed his sea change. It has done him good and has freshened him up after a long season which has taken its toll on him a bit.”
Jones took Lavra Joe to Pinjarra on Wednesday of last week when Lewis drove him in a 2185m trial. He set a brisk pace and won by a short half-head from Pinny Tiger, rating 1.55, with final 400m sections of 28.3sec. and 27.2sec. Neither pacer was full extended.
“Chris (Lewis) said he didn’t hit the horse and that he was very happy with the way he worked,” said Jones. “I have a one thousand metre track at Busselton, and he had a gallop there today (Tuesday) before going to the beach.”
Lewis will be aiming to win the Fremantle Cup for the sixth time, following the successes of Black Irish (1983), Village Kid (1988 and 1989), John Albert (1995), Sandy Bay (2005) and Dasher VC (2013).
Among Lavra Joe’s rivals will be Diego, Wildwest, Gambit and Jumpingjackmac, a quality quartet prepared by champion trainer Gary Hall Snr, who has won the Fremantle Cup a record ten times, scoring with The Falcon Strike (2002 and 2004), Im Themightyquinn (2009, 2011 and 2012), Beaudiene Boaz (2016), Chicago Bull (2017 and November 2020), My Hard Copy (2018) and Caviar Star (January 2020).
Diego, to be driven by Maddison Brown, is in superb form, having set the pace and winning at three of his past four starts. Diego is favourably drawn at barrier No. 2, but is unlikely to have the initial speed to get past Lavra Joe and enjoy his favoured frontrunning role.
“Diego is one off the barrier (No. 1) he wanted,” said Hall. “He should get a good sit in the one-out, one-back position, following Gambit (to be driven by Stuart McDonald from barrier six). Lavra Joe will lead, and Gambit will go forward to the breeze, where he likes it.”
Gambit is in fine form. From barrier eight two starts ago he raced in the breeze and finished second to Diego in a 2130m Free-For-All. He has raced in the breeze 14 times at Gloucester Park for five wins, eight seconds and one third placing.
“Jumpingjackmac (Gary Hall Jnr; barrier nine) and Wildwest (Aiden De Campo; barrier five) will go back at the start,” said Hall Snr.
“Jumpinjackmac is not without a chance. He is racing very well and will sprint home strongly if the race is run at a fast pace. Diego is my best chance; both he and Gambit are jumping out of their skins.”
Brilliant six-year-old Magnificent Storm, a winner at 27 of his 39 starts, faces a stern test after drawing out wide at barrier eight on the front line. “He is a lovely horse who doesn’t have any luck with the draws,” said his trainer Ray Williams.
“It’s a 2536m race which suits him,” said Williams. “ I don’t know where he will end up; I’m happy with him at the moment, but we will be relying on a lot of luck.”
Leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond landed the quinella in last year’s Fremantle Cup when Minstrel, from barrier one, set the pace and beat stablemate Patronus Star by a short half-head after that pacer was eleventh at the bell before flying home, out seven wide for driver Deni Roberts.
The Bonds will again be represented by Minstrel (barrier three on the back line) and Patronus Star (barrier four on the front line) as well as Himself (barrier seven).
“The draws are not the end of the world,” said Greg Bond. “We’re going to race Patronus Star and Himself with a sit, and Minstrel should get a good run through if Vultan Tin (barrier 11) goes to the fence. In that case, Patronus Star could be tracking up, following Minstrel.
“Himself probably will settle further back, and if the race is not run quick enough he might find it hard to make ground. Himself will be favoured if the race is run at a fast pace like the Golden Nugget last month when he finished from the rear to win in track record time (rating 1.54 over 2536m).
“This will be Himself’s first run in open company. He has come a long, long way in a very short space of time. He broke the track record and beat Jumpingjackmac, Mighty Ronaldo and Lavra Joe in the Nugget.”
Emily Suvaljko will drive Mighty Ronaldo from the No. 3 barrier for Capel trainer Justin Prentice, with the five-year-old showing a glimpse of his best form with a strong-finishing third behind Diego and Gambit last Friday night.
Hampton Banner (Jocelyn Young) and Vultan Tin (Mitch Miller) will start from the back line and will be at handsome odds. “Drawing No. 10 is an advantage, and likely to be following the leader Lavra Joe will suit Hampton Banner,” said Young.