A key rider change won’t be the only difference for Lady Superspy at Wyong on Thursday.
Tracey Bartley has booked Kerrin McEvoy to ride his Exosphere mare in the seventh race over a mile and he wants the multiple Melbourne Cup-winning hoop to be aggressive on the mare.
She comes into the race off a third placing at Gosford over 1600m last week when she settled in last spot before running on to place.
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But she was never in the hunt because she got too far back and that’s going to change this week.
“It’s the right race for her and we’ve put a senior rider back on her,” Bartley said.
“We’ve got to put her up a bit closer to the speed. She’s got to go forward a bit and not get right back. She did make up good ground last start.
“She gave them too much start the other day and it’s hard to come from well back at Wyong so we’ll put her into the race.”
Lady Superspy has only been to Wyong to race once even though she’s trained on the track.
That was for a win over 1600m in August.
She’s running for the third time since an eight-week let up and Bartley feels there’s no excuses for her.
“She’s ready to win and maybe even go up a furlong in distance. She’s on her home track where she races well so she’s here to win,” he said.
“I think she’s very solid.”
Bartley has a similar opinion of Frosbie’s hopes in the opening race with Serg Lisnyy on from gate five.
The three-year-old son of Scissor Kick is having his third career start after running fourth at Port Macquarie and a surprising third place last start at Wyong.
“I didn’t give him a lot of hope last start here on the tight track because he’s a big horse,” Bartley said.
“I said to Serg ‘it’s going to look ugly’ and told him to get going at the 700m and not to wait because if he did, they would just outsprint him.”
“He handled it well so I wouldn’t think he’d get beat this time unless he runs into something smart. He’s ready to win too.”
He too was towards the rear of the field last start but that won’t be the plan third-up and he’s ready to peak over the 1350m against a small but competitive field.
He’s set to start second favourite behind the Kim Waugh-trained Sir Godric who may start odds-on after running second first-up.
Bartley wouldn’t swap his horse for any other though.
“I thought his two runs have been very good,” Bartley said.
“Last start he tried to jump too fast out of the barriers and he knuckled which is why he got so far back.
“Serg did the right thing when he went over to the fence to save ground and he rode him a peach.
“He’s drawn better (5) on Thursday so if he can just travel, be there somewhere and just wait, he’ll run well.”
IT’S ALL SYSTEMS GO WITH OLIVE’S TEAM TO SHINE AT NEW HOME TRACK
Former Canberra trainer Nick Olive says his horses are settling in to their new Queanbeyan stables well and he’s targeting Thursday’s meeting at his home track.
And that’s important because Queanbeyan can be a tricky track for horses to handle so Olive naturally wants to ensure his runners have an edge when they race at home.
On Thursday, he’s got four horses running at Queanbeyan and Noble Exception is the best chance in the fourth after running a close third at the track first-up.
“I think he’ll go really well after running a super race the other day,” Olive said.
“Since he’s been gelded, he’s come back in great order and has absolutely thrived between runs. I think the step up to the 1460m will really suit him.
“I think he’s my best winning chance on the day.”
Sooboogeliscious ran fifth last start and Olive wants to see her get clear air a Maiden Handicap (1460m) so he can forget the horror run she encountered two weeks ago when held up badly for much of the home straight.
“It wasn’t easy to watch, last start,” Olive said.
“She had no luck last start and she hasn’t drawn a gate (10) this time either so she hasn’t had much luck of late.
“I think she’ll like going up in trip and I’d say she’ll hopefully be in a midfield spot.”
Mooshaka opens the day for the Olive yard in the first race and she’s spelled very well.
“She’s going great but this race isn’t an easy one. She’s come back in great order though,” Olive said.
“She goes well fresh too.”
Nephradiva is the other Olive runner, in the second, and she’s looking to find form this prep.
“She’s been a very hard horse to train,” Olive said.
“It’s been so hard to keep condition on her and keep her right.
“She’s got ability though and she does go very quickly so we’ll see how she goes on Thursday.
“I know she’s drawn five but I would’ve loved it if she had drawn ever closer to the fence because she loves the rail.”
Originally published as Wyong, Queanbeyan previews: Tracey Bartley calls on Kerrin McEvoy to pull of a successful raid
