WORKING THE NUMBERS
LUMOSTY MOVES UPTHE LADDER
FIVE down, one to go.
That’s the equation for new favourite Lumosty, who is on the brink of claiming an unlikely Stradbroke Handicap start after the $2 million race at Doomben on Saturday changed complexion yesterday.
Early favourite Najoom was yesterday ruled out of the Stradbroke and will focus on the Tattersall’s Tiara on June 20 instead, while Joe Pride also confirmed Kuro and QTC Cup winner Ball Of Muscle both won’t contest the rich race.
Chris Waller also revealed Catkins and Strawberry Boy are almost certain to run in other races on Stradbroke day instead, meaning Lumosty in effect is first emergency for the big race right now.
Her fate could well lie in the hands of Kiwi trainer Trent Busuttin, who is still deciding whether to run El Roca after the four-year-old finished fifth in the QTC Cup (1200m) on Saturday.
“It’s pretty doubtful he will run in the Stradbroke but I will discuss it with the owners and we have until Wednesday to decide,” Busuttin said.
Victorian trainer Robbie Laing originally said Lord Of The Sky would only travel to Queensland if showers were forecast this week but he is now warming to the idea of running his sprinter even if the track is dry, as expected.
Lumosty’s trainer Robert Smerdon was resigned to his boom filly missing a start on Saturday but he is starting to believe it’s a real possibility.
“I thought we were struggling and we were pretty much resigned to running her in the Dane Ripper Stakes on the same day instead but I guess we have some hope now,” Smerdon said.
“I thought we would be an emergency and people tend to run in those races regardless of the circumstances and barriers don’t put them off and that sort of thing.
“But I reckon we are just about in the field now.”
Three-year-old Lumosty was a Group 2 winner last campaign but she seems to have gone to a new level.
She has won both her starts up the Flemington straight by a combined six lengths and Smerdon has been “pleasantly surprised” by her rate of improvement.
Lumosty will work at Caulfield before flying out for Queensland tomorrow night.
She will be ridden by Singapore-based Australian jockey Corey Brown this weekend and will carry just 50.5kg.