Old mates homing in on Weetwood
ONE of Toowoomba racing’s favourite sons can cap a fairytale comeback and break his longstanding Weetwood hoodoo if Love You Lucy wins Saturday’s $125,000 feature at Clifford Park.
Jockey Ron Goltz is a multiple premiership winner in Toowoomba and won his hometown Cup on Solar Circle for trainer Jim Atkins in 1995 but the Weetwood has always eluded him.
The closest he came was on Lucky Raid, who was second to Startell in 2001. Now he teams with his old mate Barry Squair, who also failed to win the race during his time as a jockey, in a bid to crack it for a maiden win.
“Barry and I have been friends for years. He couldn’t achieve it either, so it would be a great thing to win it together,” Goltz said of Squair, who is now a trainer.
Goltz, 57, missed Love You Lucy’s Group 2-winning winter campaign because he was in the midst of an eightmonth injury enforced break, which dated back to a broken wrist many years ago. The wrist had become full of arthritis and needed surgery.
Then he developed carpal tunnel syndrome (when a nerve becomes squeezed at the wrist), which added to his time out.
His first winner back was at Nanango on September 12 and on the same day he returned to Toowoomba to land a winner as well.
Goltz and Squair concede their little concern with Love You Lucy in the Weetwood is the fact she is first-up in what will be a high-pressure race.
“Race fitness is the only negative I can find for her,” Goltz said.
“She’s definitely a good ride in the race. She handles Toowoomba, she’s had two goes for two wins here, and that’s a big thing in this race.
“The first day I thought she was pretty good was when she won at Ipswich and came from last and blew them away and a few starts later she won the big provincial final race at Eagle Farm.
“Then she came back and improved further.”
Squair has given Love You
Lucy a jumpout in readiness for her return and even though he would have liked another three weeks to this race, “she’s as good as I can get her and she will handle herself all right”.
Squair, who turns 80 next month, leaves no doubt it would be a special moment if he can combine with Goltz to win the Weetwood Handicap (1200m) on Saturday.
“Bloody oath mate. It’s a good race to win,” he said.
“It’s the main race up here, Everyone wants to win a Weetwood.”