Horse Racing

An A for Andrews and A+ for Lucky Street 

Trainer Trevor Andrews won his second Group II Karrakatta Plate (1200m) when Lucky Street made it four wins from his last four starts in an effortless display.

Hall of Fame champion jockey, Paul Harvey, took the boom colt to the lead at the start and simply careered away from the opposition, winning by four and half lengths. Mystic Maid and Showy Chloe, the latter finishing well, filled the places.

Surprisingly, it was Harvey’s first Karrakatta win, in 17 rides. He has won all other features in WA with the exception,now, of the Kalgoorlie Cup.

“He over raced a bit early so that is why I led, I was originally going to sit him,” Harvey said.

Andrews won the race in 2012 with Luke’s Luck but rates his latest winner as “sharper and more versatile.” The Ascot trainer said Lucky Street is a horse that can race from any position and that he had “good gate speed” from the barrier. The trainer rates the 2yo old classic highly. “It is our premier race for juveniles and I love to pick out young horses at the sales and develop them for a race like the Karakatta, although though I would have to say my proudest moment is still the 2013 Railway Stakes success with Luckygray. ”

Andrews went into the Karrakatta Plate with the pressure of knowing that no horse had won the MM Classic and then gone onto win the Karrakatta six weeks later.

He said he felt stressed, like Grant Williams had earlier in the day with Delicacy, in the lead-up to the Classic.

 “Because of that I gave Lucky Street only one start –in the Perth Stakes on March 14- and he won that being about 90 per cent fit. He has a good constitution and eats well,” the trainer said.

The horse with the “good motor” vindicated Andrews statement by improving even more in the Karrakatta.

The trainer also maintained the colt would still be unbeaten but for being blocked for a run in the home straight at his first race start, at Belmont, last October.

“As a three year old the Winterbottom Stakes will be a mission and I am probably going to keep him as a 1000-1200m sprinter. He will now be turned out coming back for the next Ascot season. I will not start him in the Sires Produce.”

The trainer says potentially he could be as good as Bomber Bill, a brilliant two year winner in all seven of his WA starts, in 1997-98 for trainer Hec Mclaren and jockey Craig Staples. That galloper then continued on with his stellar career, racing in five states, for a total of 24 wins and nearly $1.9m in prize money.

Ross and Karen Drage are indeed lucky part owners. Not only are they partners in dual Railway Stakes winner, Luckygray, but they are also involved in Lucky Street.

Andrews completed a winning double on the day when maiden performer Boom Time (Shaun McGruddy) chose the listed Melvista Stakes to open his winning account in race six-the race before the Karrakatta Plate.

Bob Peters and William Pike ‘slummed it’ in the last with an ‘ordinary winner’ with Highly Secret beating stablemate, Galaxon, to give trainer Adam Durrant  the quinella, in the Amelia Park Wines Handicap (1600m).