Grand National Hurdle Race Day (Sandown Lakeside) – August 1st

Ladbrokes Split Multi Handicap

(BM64 Handicap - 1300m)

Post Race Details & Comments

Winning Horse: La Marita (Aus)

6yoM Polanski (Aus) - Olympias Girl (Aus)(Aristotle (Ire))

17 starts - 5 wins 2 seconds 2 thirds 2 fourths $122545

Other Wins

1st Kilmore Rsn Ctry Cup Circuit Show-Bm64 1450m (2020)

1st Bendigo Smartline Finance (Bm64) 1300m (2020)

1st Echuca Rmbl Investments (Bm58) 1400m (2020)

1st Geelong Higgins Coatings Mdn Plate 1309m (2020)

Other Placings

2nd Kyneton Evolve Interiors (Bm70) 1450m (2020)

3rd Moe Ladbrokes (Bm64) 1619m (2020)

2nd Werribee Big Events Picnic Tables Mdn 1100m (2020)

3rd Pakenham The Timbertop Netball Team Mdn 1400m (2019)

Race Result:

1st: La Marita (W Price/A Payne) - $8

2nd: Thorondor (T Nugent/M Kent) - $26
3rd:
 Ilovesaki (M Julius/T Julius) - $51

Winning Time: 1:21.03  Last 600m: n/a

Margins: 1/2L x 2-3/4L

Winning Trainer: Andrew Payne

On La Marita arriving at his stable: “She had a good break after her last run so we started her preparation fresh. I didn’t know a lot about her but special thanks to Udyta Clarke who still has a share in the horse. I have inherited a sound, older horse so she has done a great job.”

Thoughts pre-race: “I watched her replays and she trialled really well. One thing the owners said to me was that she was really tough and that’s what we saw today. The owners told me she does run really well fresh so we had a lot of confidence on both my end and their end.”

Pre-race riding tactics: “We said ‘You head up a hill soon after the start so don’t power forward at any cost. If you get caught wide just do your best to get cover’. He did a great job.”

Plans moving forward: “We’ll see how she pulls up. My opinion is I think she will get the mile. She hasn’t got that far yet but hopefully in time with this preparation now that she has matured, she will get that distance.”

Winning Jockey: Will Price

Strong win: “We had to contend with an awkward gate, but we were able to get a bit over cover. We were a bit wide, but with that cover it made it a little bit easier for her. She travelled really well into the straight and gave a really good kick. I always felt confident that I was going to get the leader and we got there.”

More mature now: “She looked good in the yard and she’s fully matured, nice a strong. She’s not a bit thing, but she puts in. I think she’ll go on to bigger and better things this prep.”

Few day of last week: “Couldn’t do too much, couldn’t go too many places. It’s unfortunate. I was happy to have a couple of days off, it’s just unfortunate with COVID and everything that happened, we’ll try and get one a bit later on.”