3 minute read
Coonamble trainer Robert Lane is the first to admit Bureato has taken plenty of time to fully mature but the five-year-old gelding, who chases a hat trick of wins at Wellington Monday, is currently racing in career best form.
Bureato, with champion jockey Greg Ryan in the saddle, tackles the Federal Hotel Benchmark 60 Hcp (1600m).
Lane has had Bureato since the son of Bureaucracy was 15 months old.
The gelding showed enough ability as a two-year-old to contest the Wellington Boot but never quiet lived up to his early promise.
A lot of water has passed under the bridge since those early days.
“He’s in great form at the moment,” Lane said. “The horse has never felt better.
“Last time in he wasn’t strong enough. He was too tight in the shoulders. He just wasn’t mature enough but now he’s got stronger and racing really well especially over 1600 metres.”
Bureato followed thirds over 1600m to Doctor Oh at Dubbo on December 9 and to Run Legless at Narromine on December 17 with a stylish win in the Macquarie Picnic Cup (1400m) at Trangie on December 28. He lumped 62kg at Trangie but proved too classy for his rivals.
Bureato franked the form, albeit at a picnic meeting, by scoring a nose win next start over 1600m at Gilgandra on January 5.
“I took him out to Trangie to have a gallop instead of on the track and he got the cash,” Lane said. “It was a good win last start.”
Lane describes Bureato as “a real gentleman. A good quiet horse.
“He only does what he has to in trackwork but put him with another horse and he shows you something. He worked real well last Wednesday and is fit and well.”
Lane plans to step Bureato up in distance to 2000m at Mudgee after Wellington and then maybe head to the big smoke in Sydney for a midweek staying event.
Bureato has drawn ideally in barrier one.
The Wellington meeting also sees the return to country surroundings of Peter Nestor’s promising sprinter Shiraz.
Another Greg Ryan mount, Shiraz lines up in the State Wide Sheds Hcp (1100m).
After stringing together two strong wins since resuming this campaign Shiraz finished 1.5 lengths sixth to Rose Of Falvelon over 1100m at Canterbury on December 28.
