No luck of draw for duo
ONE of the owners of Sapphire Coast-bound duo Dragons Breath and Boomahnoomoonah has a lucky number which corresponds to both of their barrier draws.
Unfortunately, that “lucky” number is 17.
Granted both horses will start a bit closer than that after scratchings, but it is still a blow nonetheless to two otherwise extremely good prospects.
Dragons Breath will be having only his second start when he lines-up in Sunday’s Clarke Law Maiden Handicap (1200m) but was awesome at his debut there at the end of November.
The Natalie Jarvis-trained gelding was underwhelming in his barrier trial at Canberra 15 days ago, hence why he went up at $101.
He did have some fans though, starting at $61, but still ran well above expectations finishing a diminishing twoand-a-half-lengths fifth in a fast-run 1000m. “He went well, probably better than expected actually,’’ Jarvis said.
“We were really happy with how he finished off.
“He didn’t really know what he was there for that first race.
“I think he will get better as he continues to learn.
‘’He was quite happy to just follow them, then Shaun (Guymer) got him to the outside and got him going and then he understood what he had to do and he finished off.
“He has been a nice horse, but he is going to take a little bit of time to work it out.”
Dragons Breath is a very well bred three-year-old being a son of Golden Slipper winner Sepoy out of a mare by Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown.
His third dam, Sydney’s Dream, is the mother of Charge Forward, who was beaten by a nose in Dance Hero’s record-breaking 2004 Golden Slipper.
Boomahnoomoonah meanwhile also has a Golden Slipper connection, being a daughter of the Waterhouse/ Bott race winner, Vancouver.
This three-year-old filly has raced four times, posting her current PB as recently as December 20, when she was a very close second in her 1300m maiden assignment, also at the Sapphire Coast.
“She is a one-week back-up and I think she will get better with the extra distance (100m) she gets on Sunday,’’ Jarvis said.