A luckless run by Happy Trails in last Sunday’s Turnbull Stakes has prompted trainer Paul Beshara to back up his stable star in this Saturday’s Group 1 $400,000 Ladbrokes Caulfield Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield.
Happy Trails will be looking for better luck in the Ladbrokes Caulfield Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Sarah Ebbett.
Happy Trails had a lovely run on the fence in the Group 1 $500,000 Yellowglen Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on the weekend but jockey Dwayne Dunn is still looking for the way out.
Dunn couldn’t find any daylight in the Flemington straight and Happy Trails went to the line unextend to finish tenth of fifteen, two and quarter lengths behind the winner Preferment.
Mark Zahra takes over from Dunn in the Ladbrokes Caulfield Stakes and will be looking to give Happy Trails plenty of galloping room from barrier six in the eight horse field
The Turnbull Stakes was to be Happy Trails’ final lead up run into the Group 1 $3m Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 24 but Beshara is keen to give the eight year old a solid hit out before lining up in the weight for age championship at Moonee Valley in just over a fortnight.
“He just never got a clear crack at them so he didn’t have a hard run at all,” Beshara told racing.com.
“If he had gotten out and into the clear and was able to let down then we wouldn’t have run this week but I think he’ll need the run to have him spot on for the Cox Plate.”
Beshara has given Happy Trails an easy week and said that the multiple Group 1 winner had come through the Turnbull Stakes runs in fine order.
“He’s come through the run without an issue and he’ll just have a quiet week,” Beshara said.
Happy Trails is a three times Group 1 winner but hasn’t been in the winner’s stall since winning the Group 1 $1m Longines Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington almost twelve months ago and therefore is listed as a $12 chance for the Ladbrokes Caulfield Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au.
If you fancy a wager on Happy Trails, you can get over the odds if you log onto Ladbrokes.com.au and take up the special Caulfield Guineas Race Day offer of Best Tote or SP + 20% that is available on all ten RACES at Caulfield on Saturday up to a maximum bet of $50.
Happy Trails’ other Group 1 wins were in the Group 1 $1m Emirates Stakes (1600m) at Flemington during the 2012 Melbourne Spring Carnival and in the Group 1 $500,000 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington just under twelve months later.
The Chris Waller trained Kermadec heads the betting at $2.90 and is coming off a very impressive win in the Group 1 $500,000 Colgate Optic White George Main Stakes (1600m) at Randwick almost three weeks ago.
If you like to bet early in the day at Caulfield on Saturday you can get 50% extra on your first fixed odds winner in races 1 – 5 on the ten race program for a maximum bet of $50.
Ladbrokes Caulfield Stakes market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2.90 Kermadec, $5 Fawkner, $5.50 Contributer, $6 Pornichet, $9 Criterion, Mongolian Khan, $12 Happy Trails, $34 Entirely Platinum.
