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Luciani Racing News

Lou Luciani is one of the most experienced horse trainers in WA. He offers owners a complete package, from selecting and buying a horse through to agistment, training and racing. He takes care of everything – from organizing horse floats to taking care of paperwork – so that owners can have as much or as little hands-on as they want.

Saturday 28 March 2009

FOUR RUNNERS FOR ASCOT TODAY

On what looks to be a very pleasant day weather wise for the races I am heading out with four runners spread throughout the day. I don't have a runner in the main race the Karrakatta Plate, however I will be watching with interest as it looks to be a very even field.

We start the day in the third race with ESTIARTE making his return to the track. The horse was in great form before he went for a spell and I expect to see him get back to his best form fairly quickly. In race four we have AMELIA'S REASON running and hopefully starting to get back to his best form. The horse has been racing below his best form of late however I do feel that it is only a matter of time before we get him back to his best.There is absolutely nothing wrong with him physically however he appears to have lost a bit of his attitude of superiority lately which made him a very dominant 2yo. A bit more work on his mental attitude should see a return to his best form soon.

BLACK HABIT starts in race five which appears to be a nice race for her. She has been racing well this campaign without having anything go her way and as soon as she can get some luck in her races she will prove very hard to beat. She has put in winning performances at her last few runs but luck has eluded her.

Lightly raced 3yo ALMOHAD steps out in race seven where he has his first try out at 2200m. The horse has been running some great races of late in good company however he is not likely to find this any easier from his wide barrier. If Jason Whiting can get him into a handy position early in the race I am sure he will run a bold race and earn a start in the W.A.DERBY in a fortnights time.

As long as I can come home from the races today happy with the performances of my runners, irrespective of where they run I will consider the day to have been a success. All that will be needed to make it a top day after that will be for the EAGLES to flog the LIONS tonight and I will retire to the cot a very happy trainer!!!!

DION AND SARAH SETTLE IN

Oh to be young again! Young and care-free with the urge to travel and explore. That is exactly the position that my son Dion and his girlfriend Sarah find themselves in at the moment and good luck to them. I envy them both.

Dion and Sarah took off for the U.K. at the beginning of March, to enjoy a working holiday and see how things are done in racing on the other side of the world. They have both settled into a unit at Newmarket and are both working in leading stables there. Dion is working for Peter Chapel-Hyam while Sarah is at the stables of Michael Jarvis. Both stables have a team of between 120 and 150 horses and I can say that having done the same trip some 30 years ago, they are both in for the time of their lives. There is no substitute for experience and there is no place in the world quite like the English racing scene to gain some.

I am in regular contact with them and apart from the shock of the cold weather when they first arrived, they both appear to be happy and settled in their new positions. Both Dion and Sarah are planning to work their way through Europe with the next stop being Ireland and then on to France and maybe Italy.

I have to say it is all a bit different than when I did the trip back in 1979. Back then the only form of communication with those back home was by letter or if you could afford it, a phone call. There was no such thing as mobile phones. Well if there was it was only for the well to do. Now it is much cheaper to make phone calls, everyone has a mobile phone in their pocket, most people have access to the Internet for emails (so old fashion now) and most of the youth of today all communicate via some medium called "FACE BOOK" All a bit to technical for me I'm afraid!

Seriously though, I am sure that both Dion and Sarah are in for the time of their lives and will have plenty of stories to tell in their yet to be acquired "pommy accents" when they get home!

ANOTHER PEARLER FROM THE DAUGHTER!!!!

BEER BY SEVEN YEAR OLDS

A handful of 7 year old children were asked 'What they thought of beer'. Some interesting responses, but the last one is especially touching.

'I think beer must be good. My dad says the more beer he drinks the prettier my mum gets.'
--Tim, 7 years old

'Beer makes my dad sleepy and we get to watch what we want on television when he is asleep, so beer is nice. '
--Mellanie, 7 years old

'My Mum and Dad both like beer. My Mum gets funny when she drinks it and takes her top off at parties, but Dad doesn't think this is very funny.'
--Grady, 7 years old

''My Mum and Dad talk funny when they drink beer and the more they drink the more they give kisses to each other, which is a good thing.'
--Toby, 7 years old

'My Dad gets funny on beer. He is funny. He also wets his pants sometimes, so he shouldn't have too much.
--Sarah, 7 years old

'My Dad loves beer. The more he drinks, the better he dances. One time he danced right into the pool.'
--Lilly, 7 years old

'I don't like beer very much. Every time Dad drinks it, he burns the sausages on the barbecue and they taste disgusting.'
--Ethan, 7 years old

'I give Dad's beer to the dog and he goes to sleep.'
--Shirley, 7 years old

AND THE BEST RESPONSE

'My Mum drinks beer and she says silly things and picks on my father. Whenever she drinks beer she yells at Dad and tells him to go bury his bone down the street again, but that doesn't make any sense.'
--Jack, 7 years

Friday 20 March 2009

SHE'LL BE RIGHT ON THE MONEY


SHE'LL BE RIGHT cruises to the line an easy winner at Ascot on Wednesday with Takehide Ikenushi on board. (Photo courtesy Hollands Photographics)

It is not very often that we produce a $90.00 winner at Ascot and no disrespect intended to the stallion, but even less often that the winner happens to be the progeny of Right Wing.

That was the case at Ascot on Wednesday when SHE'LL BE RIGHT was successful first up over 1400m in a 3yo race for fillies. The filly had shown only limited ability as a two year old but was always able to show speed. I have always maintained that if a horse has some speed then somewhere along the line there will be a race where conditions will suit it.

That was the case on Wednesday when the filly I paid only six or seven thousand dollars for just over 12 months ago, stepped out at Ascot over 1400m in a race where there was no apparent pace. Takehide Ikenushi was able to roll to the front at a very leisurely pace and after literally walking for the first half of the race, he sprinted clear on the corner and was never put under full pressure at the end of the race.

The filly had been pleasing in her work and looked in top class order in the mounting yard before the race so anyone with an eye for a good looker would have had a dollar or two on her. Unfortunately muggins here had been on the outer as far as the punt was concerned of late and was to mean to part with a dollar or two to have on her. I guess the fact that I own the filly and the fact that she collected a $7,500 Westspeed bonus was some consolation. As far as I am concerned, paying up for any horse in the Westspeed scheme is like having a $1000 punt which happens to last for two years and sometimes more.

The filly has pulled up well and we will keep her racing in similar company to see if she can reproduce the excellent first up performance.

HOOFNOTE. After the race Takehide Ikenushi was fined $500 for slowing the pace of the race at the 800m point of the race. Now I haven't been in to view the stewards patrol film as yet and go over the race to make my own judgement however on first impressions I can't say that I agree with them. I accept that the pace was slow and that horses were racing keenly throughout the race however I believe "Ike" went slow the whole way and never actually slowed the pace. I will look at the film before I go any further.

Wednesday 11 March 2009

FOUND AND KEPT IN CRUISE MODE



FOUND AND KEPT appears to be in cruise mode a long way from the line in last Saturday's victory at Ascot. While the rest of the riders are riding their horses to the line with great vigour, Jason "The Fish' Whiting sits there as quite as a mouse and enjoys the ride. (Photo courtesy Hollands Photographics)

Monday 9 March 2009

FOUND AND KEPT AT LAST

Finally! Just when I thought that this horse was destined to go through this campaign winless, everything fell into place for him on Saturday and he showed what he is capable of doing.

FOUND AND KEPT only joined my stable this campaign and I have to say that taking a line through his work, there wasn't a lot to get excited about. It wasn't until we stepped him out onto the race track, that he began to show me the ability that his part owner Alistair Todd has kept telling me about. FOUND AND KEPT has been very consistent throughout this preparation however he has not enjoyed a great deal of luck. Even at his last start when he appeared to enjoy the run of the race, the horse was still caught flat footed when the feild sprinted just before the bend.

On Saturday, the race was run at a solid tempo from the get go and Jason Whiting was able to get a great suck into the race before unleashing a brilliant finish in the straight. It may not be the strongest feild ever assembled at Ascot however I have no doubt that this horse is capable of measuring up to better company with more experience and more maturity.

I would go as far as saying that with the improvement that I feel is still in the horse I expect to see him make a great provincial cup horse next season. The horse will have one more run, probably on Saturday week, before he has a short break.