Pat Cannon quartet looking to break maiden grade this weekend
PRINCESS Park’s Pat Cannon will line up a quartet of fillies this weekend in the hopes that they can exit maiden grades.
Cannon lines up The Wild Wild West at Bendigo on Saturday and a trio of fillies headed by Layne’s Star at Ballarat on Sunday and is confident about his chances.
All four fillies are still in maiden grade, including Layne’s Star which lines up in the Super VOBIS Maiden Plate on Sunday.
The talented Love Conquers All filly finished fourth in a good form race at Moonee Valley last start where it ran behind Handsome Thief and My Aim Is True.
A foot issue put a halt to its campaign, but it’s making a fresh start at Ballarat and Cannon is expecting a nice effort.
“She came out of that race (January 27) with a foot abscess so we thought we’d give her a freshen up, but it took a lot longer than we expected to get right,” Cannon told horsebetting.com.au.
“She had six weeks off. She’s had two trials since and she won her last at Ballarat.”
Cannon is eager to get its maiden win out of the way so he can target some higher-graded races later this year.
“We really want to get the maiden out of the way,” Cannon said. “She’s up to off-season city class, in the mares races once we get into her four-year-old year.
“That’s probably her level, but she’s always shown good ability.
“She’s just been a bit quirky to get the maiden out of the way. Just ran into better horses on the day, but our main mission is to get the maiden and some VOBIS as well.”
Cannon will also line up debutante So Electric in the same race as its stablemate. The So You Think filly hasn’t shown much in its trials, but it will be wanting more time and distance according to its trainer.”
“Her trial form is not great, probably done more at home than at the trials,” Cannon said. “She needs to get over a bit further than the 900m at the trials.
“She’s a little highly-strung filly so a day at the races and the experience will do her a world of good.”
Cannon wasn’t mixing his words when assessing its chances of winning on Sunday.
“She’s not a good chance, could be running on though,” he said. “In my opinion she’s one of those classic staying type of fillies, if her brain would let her to do it.
“She’s had a little bit of an injury going back six months, that stopped her preparation – just being so highly strung she hasn’t made it easy for us.
“I don’t know what she’ll do on Sunday.”
His third filly to run at Ballarat is She’s Tidy, which relished the rise in distance last start and Cannon will again run it at the mile on Sunday before potentially stepping it up over more ground next preparation.
“Probably next preparation (stepping up in distance),” Cannon said. “Her work was good this morning, she’s also going to be one of those classic staying types.”
Cannon thinks the three-year-old by Sebring could make its way to Saturday class and is expecting improvement with experience.
“She might edge into Saturday class races in the off-season, but she’s just improved every preparation and it’d be good to get her maiden out of the way,” Cannon said.
“We were confident last start, but she ran into a good one.”
The staying distances beckon in the future for She’s Tidy, but until it scores its maiden victory, Cannon is happy to keep it at the mile.
“We’ll keep her at the mile trying to get that win,” Cannon said. “Sunday will decide whether we try her over a longer journey or if we just put her out in the paddock, but she’s improved which is also a good sign with those staying fillies.”
The Wild Wild West has been close to breaking maiden grades after running a close second last start and it gets another chance at some VOBIS bonus money.
It hasn’t yet placed in three attempts at the 1300m distance, but there were encouraging signs when it finished fourth over this trip at Geelong in April.
“1200m would suit her, but there wasn’t much suitable around for her,” Cannon explained. “It’s a VOBIS race and she’s run well over 1300m before and she’s quite fit at the moment.
“We take the blinkers off and claim with her (Liam Riordan).”
When asked which of the four fillies has the best chance of winning this weekend, Cannon had no hesitation is stating Layne’s Star as his best hope.
“On trial form I think Layne’s Star is a good chance,” Cannon said. “With the claim it brings her right into the race.
“Her trial was good the other day, but her work was better on Tuesday, so if she puts the right foot forward she will be hard to beat.”