Trainer Ken Lantry believes it’s “worth a throw at the stumps” as he sends his progressing galloper Uttar Pradesh into the deep end in Wednesday’s $100,000 Provincial Championships qualifier (1400m) at Newcastle.
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...he’s in form so he’ll get his chance
- Ken Lantry
The Maitland-based mentor has just 14 horses in work and Uttar Pradesh will be his first ever runner in a Championships race.
Uttar Pradesh derives its name from a state in Northern India with the four-year-old’s dam being Kanpur, the largest city in that state.
The son of Elusive City (USA) was purchased by Lantry at a ready-to-run sale in New Zealand: “We have just poked along with him as he’s a horse that has needed a bit of time to mature.”
Uttar Pradesh has had three starts since resuming and Lantry believes he has the gelding ‘cherry ripe’ for Wednesday’s race on Newcastle’s Beaumont Track, where he is a last start winner.
“I think it’s worthwhile having a crack at a race worth one hundred grand,” Lantry enthused. “He is a horse we’ve always had a good opinion of and he’s in form so he’ll get his chance.”
Uttar Pradesh showed ability last campaign, finishing a fighting second in a strong event to Brazen (won three of four races last September-October) with third placegetter Mr Lebrock winning three races on the Gold Coast during October-December last year.
Uttar Pradesh was then sent out favourite at Scone in September but finished third: “He had come to the end of his tether by then and needed a spell but he showed us enough to warrant bringing him back for a decent race this campaign.”
After two sound efforts from a spell early in the year, Uttar Pradesh was then backed from $11 into $8.50 and powered home out wide to score on the Beaumont Track (1350m) on March 1.
“He’ll now be having his fourth run from a break and should be right at his peak,” Lantry said. “The way he finished off last time indicates Wednesday’s 1400m should be even more suitable. I think in time, he will get 1600m to 1800m.”
Lantry has booked jockey Mitchell Bell for the ride on Uttar Pradesh. Bell won the Country Championships final at Royal Randwick last autumn aboard Artlee.
Wyong trainer Kim Waugh will rely on Hetty Heights becoming her third qualifier for the $400,000 Provincial Championships final (1400m), at Royal Randwick day two of The Championships (Saturday April 9).
Waugh landed the quinella in the Wyong Provincial Championships qualifier when Supreme Effort narrowly downed stablemate His Majesty.
The trainer believes Hetty Heights has an excellent chance of joining the other pair in the final: “Hetty Heights is pretty good; there’s not a lot between the three of them.”
Hetty Heights is another last start winner on the Beaumont Track (1150m) scoring on the same day as Uttar Pradesh.
- Mark Brassel has been involved in horse racing and media all his life. After covering racing for newspapers, he joined Racing NSW 15 years ago and writes for Racing NSW Magazine and thechampionships.com.au
