Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
A lot of hard work and patience from star Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice is paying dividends, with Poppyonthebeach finally overcoming her troublesome moods and erratic behaviour.
Poppyonthebeach, a $7.60 chance, dashed straight to the front from the No. 4 barrier and was rated well in front by Dylan Egerton-Green to win the $30,000 The Lewis Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
She beat Up And Alive ($11) by a length, rating 1.56.8, with another $11 chance Wave Rebellion running home strongly from seventh (on the pegs) at the bell to finish a head away in third place.
“Poppyonthebeach was hard to control and wasn’t much fun to drive early on,” explained Prentice. “She has always had plenty of ability, but she has been headstrong and a bit of a handful.
“Earlier in this preparation she had a couple of races in which she led and should have won but lost both times (when an odds-on favourite when second in 2100m events at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park in May). I have been trying to get her to pull the pedal back, and now all’s good and I’ve been happy with her past three runs.”
Poppyonthebeach was purchased at a Melbourne yearling sale in 2023 by Prentice, and she is raced by a big syndicate of Prentice’s stable clients. She is by Downbytheseaside and is the first foal out of Art Major mare Naamark, who was retired with a record of 24 starts for one win, six placings and $15,635. Her only success was in a minor event in Bendigo as a three-year-old in May 2020. Poppyonthebeach’s 16 starts have produced five wins, six placings and $57,398.
“Beating out Raklou (the $4.20 favourite) made our job a bit easier, and we didn’t have to do too much to do that,” said Egerton-Green. “I tried to keep Poppyonthebeach relaxed in front, but when Eastbro Chrissy came around (to the breeze) Poppy began to get on the chewy a bit, and I didn’t want to go that quick early.
“However, I was able to back off and from then she was too good for them. Her last 50 metres have been her worst and I thought if I could stay as far ahead of the good ones, she could do what she wanted to do and win. Actually, she fought on better than she has ever done.”
Prentice’s other runner in Friday night’s race, four-year-old Ruby Lovera ($8), was driven by Trent Wheeler, and she loomed as a major threat when she came from eighth at the bell with a fast move at the 700m to move to second 400m later. But she wilted and dropped back to finish sixth.
“Ruby Lovera was a bit disappointing,” said Prentice. “She let down well down the back and I thought she would get over the other girl (Poppyonthebeach). But she knocked up over the last little bit. Maybe she didn’t back up at her third start, three weeks in a row.”
Eastbro Chrissy ($5) faded to finish ninth, while Wave Rebellion gave further indication of having the ability to win many races.
Poppyonthebeach’s win completed a driving double for Egerton-Green, who was successful earlier with Im Lightning Banner, the $1.80 favourite in the 2130m Beau Rivage Pace.
Egerton-Green took advantage of the No. 1 barrier and Im Lightning Banner relished his pacemaking role and after final quarters of 28sec. and 28.2sec. the New Zealand-bred five-year-old won comfortably from Ultimate Miki ($3.30) and Our Crunch Time ($4.60), rating 1.55.7.
It was a long overdue win for Im Lightning Banner, who ended a 17-month drought and a losing sequence of 20. He has now earned $130,646 from nine wins and 13 placings from 41 starts.