Lane confident with Helensburgh Ham ahead of Maclean Cup
DAMIAN Lane believes his four-year-old gelding Helensburgh Ham is a genuine chance of capturing Sunday’s Maclean Cup (1400m) at Grafton.
The bay has had four runs back this preparation for a win and a second, with his Wyong-based trainer happy with his form heading into the weekend’s $30,000 feature.
“He is a genuine chance on Sunday,” Lane told Horse Betting.
“I thought his first up run at Gosford was a good effort over an unsuitable distance and he went very well second-up at Newcastle when running second.
“He struggled against the strong Saturday grade at Rosehill, but we managed to find the right race for him at Wyong the other day.
“He found the rail and got a couple of cheap sectionals early and was pretty strong late.”
Helensburgh Ham will be ridden on Sunday by Matthew McGuren who will have to overcome a tricky barrier 13 to give him a chance, but Lane says his charge is genuine and should adapt well depending on the tempo of the event.
Helensburgh Ham and @jeanvovermeire get their own way in front and prove too good in the last of the day at #Wyong. pic.twitter.com/ZqFl4QXWBM
— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 29, 2017
“I would have loved to see him draw a little bit kinder this week, but he deserves his chance in a race like this,” Lane said.
“He isn’t going to get a cheap lead like he did at Wyong, but that’s ok because I don’t think he is a horse which has to lead.
“He is the kind of horse which will put himself in the race and I expect him to settle in the first four or five.
“As long as he gets a nice enough run early I think he will be in it for a long way and I expect him to run the 1400m out well.”
Whilst he faces a tricky field against the likes of in-form duo Anecdote and Present Sense, Lane seemed confident in his chances of landing a winner on the last day of the Grafton Racing Carnival.
“He ticks all the boxes and obviously we wouldn’t be bringing him all this way unless he had pleased us and we thought he was capable of winning a race like this,” Lane said.
“He is a horse on the way up, he has got very good form and I think there are better things in store for him later on.”
The Maclean Cup is race six at Grafton on Sunday and is set to jump at 3.38pm.