Racing

ADAPTABLE O’DONNELL GETS LION SHARE OF PIE

Bakers Hill is famous for its Pie Shop but it was local trainer, Cliff Smith,that enjoyed the major slice of the pie at Ascot yesterday.

The Smith trained I’m Feeling Lucky  led all the way to win the Westspeed Stayers Bonus Handicap (2200m) from consistent Andi’s Boy, who was runner up for the eighth time, with Already Famous a fair third after having the run of the race.

I’m Feeling Lucky has now won five times, with five placings, from her17 starts for Perth Racing Chairman Ted van Heemst and his wife Marilyn.

Smith said the mare was a very relaxed type of galloper and he was not perturbed when jockey Shaun O’Donnell took her to the front.

O’Donnell has a great strike rate on the mare and in 12 rides on her he has been aboard her for all of her victories and four of her placings.

‘She likes me, and she is a kind horse who was happy to let me dictate terms. Ideally I would have liked to have lobbed in third or fourth place early but I was not going to be trapped wide to do so.”

Like Smith, O’Donnell was unperturbed at his position and unchallenged for much of the race lobbed along comfortably throughout holding the advantage to the line.

Smith said ‘Im Feeling Lucky may have one more run before a spell and would return for some Christmas staying races.

QUILTY: Trainer Shane Quilty’s Tiger Red was too strong in the final stages of the Westspeed Handicap (1400m) defeating Muskets at Dawn in a spirited duel down the home straight, prevailing by a head. The runner up has now finished second at four of his last five starts.

Tiger Red, ridden by Brad Parnham, firmed from $14-$10 and has a big future according to his trainer over the 1400 -1600m journey. He has now won two of his five starts and has never been further back than third.

Hall of Fame jockey Paul Harvey completed a double at the meeting with wins on the Martin Allan trained Essayez and Cougar Express, for Lindsey Smith.

Harvey’s vigour prevailed in the last race and he and trainer Lindsey Smith maintain a combined winning strike rate of 31 per cent.

Apprentice Jake Casey continues to impress, winning on Marchand in the seventh race and then running an unlucky second in the last race on Highly Secret, after being trapped wide throughout.