ALBURY trainer Donna Scott could not be happier with Halo Warrior for Saturday week's $150,000 SDRA Country Championships Qualifier (1400m).
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Halo Warrior capped off a brilliant lead-in to the feature race with a commanding victory in the Newhaven Park Country Championship Preview (1400m) at Murrumbidgee Turf Club on Thursday.
Brodie Loy produced the ride of the race as Halo Warrior ($4.40) got to the outside and timed his run to perfection to score by a length and a half from the luckless Blitzar ($3.90) and Claptone ($10).
After a close second and a win from his first two runs this campaign, Scott could not be happier with Halo Warrior.
"It was sensational," Scott said of the win.
"It was all part of the plan. I wasn't over concerned, it's not too bad a race, he wasn't wound up if he didn't win but I would have been disappointed if he didn't run in the first couple.
"He's come back in great order. "He just ticks over next week. Oamanikka will have a bit of a gallop but this bloke won't do too much more between now and then. It's just a matter of keeping him up and about."
Scott will go into the qualifier with two live hopes in Halo Warrior. They ran sixth and seventh in last year's race and the in-form Albury horsewoman struggles to split them going into the 2022 edition.
"Halo Warrior looks fractionally better in the coat but it's hard to split them," Scott said.
MORE SPORT NEWS
"Oamanikka would have been nice to see him do just a bit more (at Caulfield) but I'm not too worried about the other day. Last time when he ran second at Moonee Valley (in the lead up) he looked a million dollars and we probably came to the end of our prep heading into the Country Championships. This time he's nearly right in the coat and I think he should be cherry ripe come race day.
"Halo Warrior can be a bit of a funny horse, he's a bit quirky, where as Oamanikka is really genuine. He might have turned a corner and matured. The only concern will be, if you look at his form, there are some people potting him, but he doesn't want a wet track. Where as Oamanikka it won't worry him.
"At this point in time I probably struggle to split them."
The only concern for Scott now is tying down a jockey to ride Halo Warrior. She thought she had Loy booked for Saturday week's qualifier but he said post race he would be riding at Gosford on the day instead.
Scott's stable was quick to get on the phone to Loy's manager and hope to have confirmation on Friday.
The win means Halo Warrior will now carry the top weight of 59 kilograms on Saturday week but Scott is not concerned.
"The 59 isn't much. You're that for a reason," she said.
"As much as you've got 59, you've got that for a reason and you hope that carries you through. You hope that you're that little bit class above."
Meantime, Pretty Extreme was a popular winner in the last at 20-1 for Tumut trainer Kerry Weir and a big group of owners.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Download our app from the Apple Store or Google Play
- Bookmark dailyadvertiser.com.au
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters