Squair’s Ripper success
RACING: Love You Lucy may have pushed the boundaries with her trainer Barry Squair, but the pair combined for their greatest success at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
The talented mare tossed Squair off during trackwork seven weeks ago, resulting in a dislocated shoulder for the veteran trainer.
He wears the battle scars, and a grin that can’t be removed after she produced a boilover to take out the $175,000 Group 2 Dane Ripper Stakes (1400m).
Love You Lucy ($41) had to contend with the widest draw in the field of 14, as well as jockey Glen Colless suffering an early mishap.
It wasn’t enough to stop the four-year-old, who defied previous results on the day to make ground along the inside, finishing too strong to win by a neck from River Racer ($26).
“They had the barrier blanket on her and when they jumped, the blanket knocked Glen’s foot out of the irons,” Squair said.
“He was trying to get his foot back in for the first half of the race, which makes the run better than you think.
“Coming to the home turn, I told him to get to the outside if he could.
“But everyone else got out there, and there was plenty of room on the inside. Glen rode in the first race and couldn’t see anything wrong with it.”
Love You Lucy was Squair’s first runner in a Group 2 race in more than two decades of training.
The mare will always hold a special place in Squair’s heart, and gave him the physical reminders of her impact on his career earlier in the preparation.
“She’s a bit of a diva and a bad shier,” he said.
“On the morning she got rid of me, we were going at three-quarter pace. Nobody would’ve stayed on her.
“I had a dislocated shoulder and it took a fair bit of skin off my left hand.”
Squair said he would consider tackling the Listed Bright Shadow (1200m) at Eagle Farm on July 4, but believes she has the potential to tackle the elite grade.
“She’s got the ability,” he said.
“We had some issues earlier in her career, but we eventually got her right, and she’s done it all in the last two preparations.”
After running third in the Stradbroke Handicap a week prior, Steve Tregea’s Niccanova ran a luckless second in the Group 3 Eagle Farm Mile (1600m).
Backed into $2.10 at the jump, the gelding was forced to sit wide after not being able to secure an early position from a wide draw.
Niccanova hung in during the home straight, and James Orman dropped the off-side reins with 150m to go, before being edged out by a half head by Gaulois ($9.50).
Earlier, Tony and Maddysen Sears added another winner with Barefoot ($9.50) claiming the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1600m).
The mare flew home from 11th on the turn to score by a half-length.
# YESTERDAY’S scheduled meeting at Clifford Park was postponed because of surface water on the track. A new date is yet to be announced.