Top WA horseman Jim Taylor has named the $80,000 Listed Summer Scorcher (1000m) at Perth’s Ascot Racecourse on 2011 Perth Cup Day this New Year’s Eve as the next-up target for his in-form Oratorio mare Latoria.
Unbeaten for the season, five-year-old Latoria recorded her sixth career win from 11 starts last Saturday racing away to beat a smart field of fellow sprinters in the Lord Mayor’s Cup (1000m).
Leading all the way, Latoria displayed her scintillating turn of foot to put an easy three lengths on her closest rival, The Entourage, in the Cup winning in a sharp 57.12 seconds.
It was her fastest 1000 metre performance to date, Latoria named by Taylor as his second-fastest horse in work behind her undefeated stablemate, boom four-year-old Barakey.
Latoria, who is from unraced Metal Storm mare Laventour, will likely get her first chance to secure some black type on December 31 when she races in the 2011 Summer Scorcher, one of three stakes races highlighting the New Year’s Eve racing action in Perth this year.
“There’s not a lot around for her so she might have to step up to the Scorcher,” Taylor said.
“I’ll see what horses are in it and what rating penalty she’d get if she won it.
“If it’s too much, I’ll look for another welter.”
Lightly-raced for her age, Latoria has always shown connections plenty of ability but ongoing leg and feet issues have restricted her track career.
“She’s always shown a fair bet but hasn’t got the best legs in the world and has average feet,” Taylor said.
“She’s very upright in front and if she was trained on the track she wouldn’t stand up.
“She’s very much like (former star sprinter) Metallic Storm – very fast but you have to manage them.”
The New Year’s Eve racing action in WA will be headlined by the $400,000 Group 2 Perth Cup (2400m), nominations for which close at midday today.
Stay tuned to Races.com.au to view the 2011 Perth Cup nominations and for all the latest Festival of Perth Racing updates.
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