News & Media

23 April 2008 Lewis Poised to Set Another Record

Champion reinsman Chris Lewis has been engaged to drive Scruffy Murphy in the $20,000 Anzac Day Memorial Stakes at Gloucester Park on Friday night and he should guide the brilliant eight-year-old to victory.

A win would give the 52-year-old Lewis a record fourth success in the event which was first run in 1959 when Ken Ford was successful with Halt.

Lewis has won the race with Village Kid (1985), Elteei (1986) and Captain Lee (1995). The only other reinsmen to have won the Memorial Day Stakes three times are Max Johnson (Kiwi Dillon, in 1961 and 1962 and Gallant Mark in 1966) and Callan Suvaljko (Big Town Boy, 2003, Nats Nifty, 2005, and Earl of Locksley, 2006).

Justin Warwick, who trains Scruffy Murphy, has won this event twice as a reinsman and twice as a trainer. He trained and drove the 1998 winner Classy Colt and was successful as a trainer with Admirals Avenue (2000) and as a driver with Transit Earl (2002).

Lewis drove Scruffy Murphy at his first three starts in WA last August-September for a tenth, ninth and second placing. He last drove the gelding when he ran on solidly to finish second to Demoralizer on September 21. He has not driven Scruffy Murphy at his past 20 starts.

After managing only one place from his first seven WA starts, Scruffy Murphy struck top form his past 16 starts have produced seven wins and six placings.

Scruffy Murphy has drawn nicely at barrier four. However, the three horses drawn inside him can all muster plenty of early pace and Lewis is likely to bide his time before issuing a serious challenge in the 2130m event.

Scruffy Murphy was gallant in defeat at his most recent outing, over 2130m at Gloucester Park last Friday week, when he started from the outside barrier (nine), raced wide early and then applied considerable pressure on the pacemaker Lookslikelightning before getting to a clear lead 250m from home and finishing a 1m second to Hayton Brain.

Eight-year-old Earl of Locksley, who will start from the outside barrier in a field of nine, has the opportunity to become the second pacer (after Kiwi Dillon) to win the event twice. He rated 1.57.3 when he won from Patches and Kotare Flame two years ago.

Earl of Locksley has a losing sequence of 18, but he has been placed four times from his past six starts, including two seconds to Scruffy Murphy.

Just Jasper looms as one of the most serious threats to Scruffy Murphy after his eye-catching first-up effort last Friday week when he charged home, out wide, from 11th at the bell to be third to Hayton Brain and Scruffy Murphy. Just Jasper is a smart frontrunner and is ideally drawn at barrier one. Aldo Cortopassi is likely to attempt an all-the-way win.