3 minute read
Goulburn trainers have a quintet of acceptors in Saturday's TAB Highway Handicap at Royal Randwick with Tash Burleigh's Iron Will ($7 on TAB) leading the charge up the Hume.
The lightly raced son of Panzer Division has won two of seven to date and also notched a runner-up result in a class two Highway Handicap at headquarters over the summer.
Tash Burleigh, no stranger to winning a Highway Handicap or two, heads into Saturday's contest happy enough with Iron Will's first-up run but also has fingers crossed for kind passage in a typically big Highway field.
"I was happy with his efforts first-up, he didn't have a lot of choice but to roll forward, he would have easily been caught three wide, he was very brave to the line and only beaten in the last little bit," Burleigh ventured.
Iron Will finished less than two lengths from the winner (Zaru) in sixth place after leading the field up for most of the race.
He had one trial before his resumption at Randwick with Burleigh hinting his peak shouldn't be far too off come this weekend's assignment.
"He had a jump out and a trial before his first up run, it would have been two jump outs had we not wanted to utilise the trip away with a trial.
"He's a pretty spirited horse and doesn't hold back in his work, so he was fairly fit. He just needs race fitness to top him off now."
Billy Owen does the steering for Burleigh with two kilos less a handy offset for the upscale to class three company.
The tablelands trainer is hoping for the best after seeing a draw that could require some "iron will' to overcome.
"Unfortunately he's drawn a pretty average gate. Not what you like to see up against some flashy horses.
"Might be caught wide again, but he's trained on well and will be tougher going into this run."
Burleigh says her charge is ready for six furlongs (1200m) at Randwick and has been training long enough to know you don't bank cheques at home on the couch.
"The distance is suitable albeit heading to a class three race. You have to be in it to win it, however!"
Burleigh has plenty of 'neighbourly' competition in this week's edition of the TAB Highway.
Sarah Murray-Leslie has one of the bolters in the race, Free State ($151), who surprised punters but not the stable with his top three result behind the promising Dancing Alone first-up at Kembla Grange.
"He's a lovely big horse, who was great first-up at Kembla off a great ride from Molly Bourke," Murray-Leslie offered.
Free State (Michael Heagney Saturday) ran a huge race in the Highway Handicap on Gong Day last year. Murray-Leslie says he's come back in good order and is capable of the same again this week given an ounce of luck.
"Shame about the visitor's gate but he Is doing well this time in. He will take his place, he's extremely honest, I expect he can jump and find a stalking position.
"He's had a nice long lead up so the next few runs will show where he's at."
Evergreen trainer Danny Williams piques interest with new stable acquisition Wizard Of Oz ($14). A finalist in April's Newhaven Park Country Championships, Wizard Of Oz (Jason Collett) has been trialling sharper than a tablelands frost of late, his most recent effort a 4.5 length winning spin over 800m in slick time.
Other members of the Goulburn gang of five include Miss Thatcher ($26 -Tim Martin; Jay Ford) and fifth emergency Smokeshow ($8-Danielle Seib; Tyler Schiller). Miss Thatcher drops back in trip after competitive front running efforts in Highway Handicaps at her past two starts.
Smokeshow was quick to repay connections after a stable switch last campaign going to the paddock a class two Highway Handicap winner over 1100m.
If scratchings don't go her way, the mare is safely ensconced in Race 7 ($26) on Saturday's card.
Goulburn Race Club will host its next race meeting on Monday 7th August with nominations closing on Tuesday (1st August) at 11am.
