2023 PB Lawrence Stakes Results: Cox Plate Hope Mr Brightside Salutes First-Up
Betting | Horse Racing Today | News | Race Results | Spring Racing | Winter Racing |The Ben, Will & JD Hayes-trained Cox...
The inability to pick-up a flight from Melbourne to Perth has Cranbourne horseman Richard Laming focused on January’s Magic Millions Racing Carnival with his mare Payroll who misses the chance at a Group 1 in the 2017 Kingston Town Classic Saturday week.
The five-year-old daughter of Not A Single Doubt was impressive at Ladbrokes Park on November 18 posting a narrow victory in the Group 3 Eclipse Stakes (1800m).
That followed two earlier Group 2 spring placings at Flemington when third as a $41 roughie in the Blazer Stakes (1400m) and second on Emirates Stakes Day in the Matriarch Stakes (2000m).
Her outstanding spring form had Laming keen to head to W.A. for a shot at the Group 1 $1 million Kingston Town Classic (1800m) at Ascot Racecourse on December 9.
The last minute suggestion at a Perth bid in the weight-for-age classic however saw Payroll miss the scheduled charter flights for the eastern state raiders.
Unable to secure a secondary flight and also worries over how the mare would handle the hot conditions during the Perth Summer Racing Carnival has seen Laming abandon Kingston Town Classic ambitions and refocus on a different late summer prep for Payroll.
The next run or two for Payroll will be to get her rock hard fit for the ultimate campaign aim, the $1 million Magic Millions Trophy (2200m) at the Gold Coast in Queensland in mid-January.
“It’s a lot easier to keep her home, we’ve got some nice races on our back door that are the perfect stepping stone to the Magic Millions,” Laming told Racing Victoria on Wednesday.
“At this stage she’ll either run in the Lord Stakes on Boxing Day at Caulfield, or the same day there’s a race in Sydney for her as well.
“Whether we go there and then float to Queensland or whether we just stay home and run in the Lord Stakes and then fly her up there [is to be decided].
“More than likely we’ll look at both races and accept and go from there.”
The $120,000 Listed Lord Stakes (1700m) runs on December 26, while the Sydney race Laming hinted at is the Group 3 $150,000 Summer Cup (2000m) held at Royal Randwick on the same day.
Payroll ran a close third only a length beaten by the winner Stratum Star in this year’s Magic Millions Trophy results from a wide barrier (13 of 16) as a $17 roughie.
As for the eastern state raiders still in Kingston Town Classic contention this season, last start Railway Stakes runner-up Black Heart Bart is the $3.40 favourite in futures betting at Ladbrokes.com.au.
The bookies are also taking no chances on Godolphin’s Doncaster Mile winner It’s Somewhat who is a $4.80 shot in futures Kingston Town Classic odds and a livewire chance to win according to the stable.
To back your favourite summer racing contenders over the coming weeks at the right prices head to Ladbrokes.com.au today.
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