Trainer Paul Beshara has confirmed that Happy Trails will take his place in the 2015 Queen Elizabeth Stakes field, but he believes that the veteran gelding needs a dry Royal Randwick track to be a winning chance in the Group 1 event.
Trainer Paul Beshara is hoping that the Royal Randwick will dry out ahead of the 2015 Queen Elizabeth Stakes this weekend. Photo by: Sarah Ebbett
Happy Trails contested the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) on a wet track at Royal Randwick on Monday and he produced a lackluster effort to finish 12th and he has now had ten starts on tracks rated in the soft or heavy range without recording a race win.
Beshara told Racing Ahead that Happy Trails fails to put in when he contests a race on a rain-affected track, but the veteran trainer said that his star galloper had taken no harm from his Doncaster Mile run and will perform well in the 2015 Queen Elizabeth Stakes if the rain stays away from Sydney during the week.
“We knew that he would go no good because the track was too wet for him,” Beshara said.
“I just wanted him to go around and get the run under his belt.
“It won’t worry him, he came home Monday night and licked his bin clean, he eaten all his hay and he is jumping around.
“He didn’t do anything because he just doesn’t put in on those wet tracks.
“He just doesn’t try and he never has, so Damien (Oliver) didn’t punish him.
“We had a big heavy shower yesterday, but then the sun was out and the sun was out yesterday morning.
“It hasn’t rained since and we have a nice wind blowing.
“You have to look on the positive side and I just hope that it dries out nice.
“It just kills him and he really has no hope, we have been up here four times now and it has rained every time.”
Happy Trails will be having his second start in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) after he finished third behind imported galloper Reliable Man and star three-year-old It’s A Dundeel in the 2013 edition of the race, while he is still chasing his first race win in Sydney after being placed in just two of his ten race starts in New South Wales.
Contributer is currently available at 2015 Queen Elizabeth Stakes odds of $3.60 and is a narrow favourite with Ladbrokes, while Happy Trails is available at a lengthy quote of $41 to record a fourth win at the highest level of racing.
