Lady Le Fay needs plenty of luck in Ballarat Cup

Lady Le Fay will need better luck in the run than she had at the barrier draw after coming up with barrier twenty-two in the Listed $300,000 Ballarat Cup (2200m) at Ballarat on Saturday.

Craig Newitt, above, rides Lady Le Fay in the Ballarat Cup at Ballarat. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.

Craig Newitt, above, rides Lady Le Fay in the Ballarat Cup at Ballarat. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.

The Chris Waller trained Lady Le Fay was given the horror barrier when the final field of eighteen plus four emergencies was released this morning and will be loaded into the outside gate after the field is reduced to the capacity limit of eighteen at scratching time on Saturday morning.

The Thorn Park mare hasn’t had a lot of luck at her last couple of starts and Waller was hoping her fortunes might be changing this week but he will now have to rely the expertise of jockey Craig Newitt to find the best way home.

Lady Le Fay ran a solid race three starts back when second to Dixie Blossoms in the Group 3 $150,000 Angst Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on October 8 but was then caught in the wrong part of the track when sixth as favourite to Kaniana in the Group 3 $150,000 Merlin Garage Door Openers Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate Day.

The six year old mare was then sent out as favourite again but could only manage to finish sixth to Jessy Belle in the Group 2 $300,000 7News Matriarch Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on November 5.

“She didn’t have a lot of luck at Moonee Valley when she got caught on the inside and last start we might have just ridden her a bit too close,” Waller told racing.com.

“The extra distance at Ballarat will suit and she’s due a change of luck.”

In a very wide open betting race, Lady Le Fay has been installed the $8 favourite for the Ballarat Cup with Ladbrokes.com.au just ahead of Cool Chap and Lidari at $8.50 and the Eclipse Stakes winner Turnitaround at $9.50.

Lidari is one of four runners trainer Darren Weir will saddle up in the Ballarat Cup and has also drawn wide at fifteen with John Allen to ride.

Weir’s other runners are Taiyoo ($16), barrier twelve with Brad Rawiller, Auvray ($17), barrier four with Harry Coffey and  Lord Van Percy ($14), barrier eighteen with Dean Yendall.

Weir’s racing manager Jeremy Rogers is expecting all four runners to perform well but is leaning slightly to Taiyoo as the best from the stable.

“I would say Taiyoo is our best chance,” Rogers told racing.com.

“I know that Taiyoo has been working up the hill, going really well.

“All of them get up to a distance now so hopefully they can run good races.”

Market order for the Ballarat Cup at Ladbrokes.com.au: $8 Lady Le Fay, $8.50 Lidari, Cool Chap, $9.50 Turnitaround, $10 Nozomi, $12 Scherzoso, Pilote D’Essai, $14 Lord Van Percy, $15 Charlevoix, Puccini, $16 Taiyoo, $17 Auvray, $18 Observational, $21 Rising Romance, Manageress, $26 Magnapal, Golden Oldies, $34 Go Dreaming, $41 Desert Jeuney, $51 Sonntag, Something To Share, $101 White Dollar Sign.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.