Theresa Bateup will look to target the 2019 Provincial Championships with Golly I’m Lucky after the lightly-raced four-year-old improved his record at Nowra on Tuesday.
Golly
I’m Lucky ($4) benefited from a hot-speed when he stormed home from the
back half of the field to salute in the Arnie Bowden Memorial Class 1
(1400m).
The Lucky Owners gelding gapped John Thompson’s Song And A Prayer ($5) by 1-¾ lengths, with Sarim ($81) in third.
Bateup
admitted post race that it was all still a learning curve for her
promising talent, which has had just seven career starts.
But the Kembla Grange trainer holds high hopes for Golly I’m Lucky’s next preparation.
“I have got a really high opinion of this horse,” Bateup told Sky Thoroughbred Central.
“He is the sort of horse that I would hope that he is worth having a crack at the Provincial Championships next year.
“It is just about educating him at the moment. The ability is there but he is still a very raw product.
“I am happy to see him do that today.”
Bateup was pleased to see Golly I’m Lucky prove he could run out a strong 1400m at Nowra.
The Provincial Championships final is run over the same trip during the Autumn Carnival.
Qualifiers for the prestigious decider at Royal Randwick won’t be run until the new year, but Bateup was keen to plot a careful path towards the feature over the next six months.
“We are taking it run by run at the moment but he has done a super job this preparation,” Bateup said.
“He has had three quick runs now but he has just pulled up so well from each run that I wasn’t worried about backing him up.
“We will look after him with the long term view of looking at next year so we will work out how we can get there.”
Tuesday’s run was Golly I’m Lucky’s third start in the past 17 days.
The gelding now boasts a record of two wins and two placings from seven starts, with $29,200 in prizemoney earned.
– Mitch Cohen
Originally published: https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/5681007/bateup-to-aim-at-champs/?cs=12