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Scratch Me Lucky Ready For Spring Return

Brisbane’s newly-crowned premier jockey Tim Bell will return to Sydney to ride Group One placegetter Scratch Me Lucky in the Run To The Rose.

Bell, 21, served most of his apprenticeship in NSW and capped his first season as a senior rider with the Brisbane premiership and his first Group One win on Tinto in the Queensland Oaks.

Bred by by Ramsey Pastoral Co Pty Ltd and Laurel Oak Bloodstock, the Paul Perry-trained Scratch Me Lucky finished second to Peggy Jean in the ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes and just missed a place in the Champagne Stakes.

Both races were run on wet autumn tracks and the same conditions have been forecast for Saturday’s Rosehill meeting.

Perry has entered Scratch Me Lucky for several major spring races including the Epsom Handicap and the Cox Plate but says he will take it one race at a time.

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“He has grown into a darn nice horse. He has had two easy trials to get ready for the Run To The Rose,” Perry said.

“Tim Bell is coming down to ride him.

“We want to get him started and see where we are at. If he goes well on Saturday and then runs in the Golden Rose we will look at things after that.

“He could go to Melbourne for the Caulfield Guineas Prelude or he could stay here.

“The weather will play a part because we know how good he is in the wet.”

The colt was one of 14 entries taken on Monday for the Group Three 1200m sprint as the three-year-olds scramble for berths in the $1 million Golden Rose (1400m) two weeks later.

The nominations are headed by the Gai Waterhouse-trained Almalad, the only colt to win a juvenile Group One race last season when he beat Brazen Beau in the J J Atkins in Brisbane.

Brazen Beau will be among his rivals on Saturday with trainer Chris Waller also nominating Law and Sniper Fire.

Gerald Ryan, who enjoyed a stellar season with two-year-olds in 2013/14, entered Washington Heights and Ygritte.

He gave thought to nominating Bachman but said he would stick to his plan to go to the Golden Rose first-up.

Bachman has risen in the order of entry after Saturday’s Up And Coming Stakes during which some of his potential opponents were knocked out of the prize money by the wayward Liberation.

 

News from Caryl Williamson, AAP

Still searching for luck…

Whether you are a “could’ve, would’ve, should’ve” kind of person or not – no one can deny the fact that Better Land “could’ve, would’ve and should’ve probably won in Saturday’s Group Three Up And Coming Stakes at Randwick!

Settling on the outside of the field after jumping away from one of the outside gates, Better Land was travelling extremely well for jockey Glyn Schofield, but when the Peter Moody-trained three-year-old looked as if he was going to play a huge part in the finish of the Group Three race, the wayward leader Liberation veered, seemingly from nowhere, right into the path of Better Land – taking his running and literally ending his winning chances. Check out the pictures below of the incident Liberation (Orange Silks) and Better Land (Red Cap and white blaze).

Such wass his determination, Better Land got going again but the same thing happened with Liberation making it clear Better Land was not to pass him.

Finishing fifth across the line, and eventually promoted to fourth in the Steward’s Room, Better Land is now in a precarious position of not having enough prize money in the kitty to make the field of the Group One Golden Rose (1400m) in three weeks’ time.

Post-race, trainer Peter Moody was obviously quite angry about the interference caused to his runner, especially as the culprit had previously behaved in the same manner on the track.

“He doesn’t have enough money to get into the race now and really has left us with some decisions to make about where next,” Moody said.

“He was going that well I thought he was going to win by a couple of lengths and Glyn (Schofield) thought the same thing. He was about to let down and got smashed.

“He picked himself back up and was about to go again and (Liberation) got him again. He was never tested to the line. We know we have a very good horse but we might not be able to get to the race we want now.”

Schofield described Better Land as “the meat in the sandwich” in the first incident. “I just got corkscrewed and then got going again somehow and (Liberation) run out again,” he said. “He should have won.”

All in all, the positive we can take away from the race is that Better Land is a colt with immense promise and while he may not make the field for the Group One Golden Rose (sigh), there are still a lot of opportunities for the colt to aim towards during the spring and we wish all the owners the best of luck.

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Beckon Bounces Back

While on paper it appeared as if our Charge Forward six-year-old had been having a bad run of late, but all things were turned around on Saturday when Beckon thundered out of the pack and held off all challengers to win the St Johns Park Bowling Club (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens.

Showing plenty early on in his career when winning his first two starts, things went slightly awry after that and the well-bred Beckon was gelded to help keep his mind on the job! A full-brother to Group One winner Headway, the Peter Moody-trained Beckon had not won since November 2012 when winning at Gosford with the beaten brigade that day including Masterstroke, who was also competitor on Saturday.

Forced to take a 45 weeks spell, Beckon resumed his current campaign in May of this year and while it has taken a few months for everything to fall into place, they finally did on Saturday and his large group of owners could not have been more excited!!

Ridden by Josh Parr, Beckon settled up handy in about fifth position on the rail from barrier two. With last start winner Runway Star ensuring there was a good tempo in the race, Parr pulled Beckon out wide as the field rounded the home turn to start to chase down the leader.

With Maroon Bay going to the inside of the leader and Beckon on the outside, these two pulled away from the rest of the field with Beckon getting his head in front of Maroon Bay to take the win, Masterstroke worked home well into third.

With four wins and a five placed efforts from 21 starts to date, Beckon was secured from the 2010 Magic Millions Yearling Sale from the draft of Turangga Farm and is raced by Laurel Oak Bloodstock Synd (Mgr: L J Mihalyka), Lanista Thoroughbreds Synd (Mgr: S C Cook), D J Daniel, A N Fitzgerald, G S Tucker, A G Charlton, S M Sandridge, S W Hackney, W Gest, K C Ooi, M D Jackson, Mrs K J Hanckel, Ms N Mayhew & Mrs R C Fitzgerald.

Beckon Winners

For more images, head over to the Laurel Oak Facebook page by clicking here.

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