Rowe Chasing Kalgoorlie Success Again
21 September, 2017
WA Country Cups
Perth horseman Stephen Rowe says he can’t wait to get back to the Kalgoorlie race round and revive fond memories of his best win in racing
In 2013 Rowe’s star gelding Barnsley Lad won the Coolgardie Cup (1600m) and a fortnight later ran second in the Boulder Cup (1760m).
Barnsley Lad’s dominant victory in the Coolgardie Cup smashed a 19-year track record and gave Rowe his greatest triumph as a trainer.
On Sunday he has a real shot of taking out the $130,000 Listed XXXX-Gold Kalgoorlie Cup (2300m) with emerging mare, Danehills Daughter.
Rowe says the daughter of Danehill Express enters the Kalgoorlie Cup in superb form after setting Belmont Park alight with four straight wins.
The five-year-old rocketed into calculations last-start when over 2000m she powered home to defeat Shinta Mani by a long-neck.
Rowe says Danehills Daughter, purchased for $5,500 by his niece’s partner, has had the perfect preparation for the Kalgoorlie Cup.
“It’s a big ask, but she is ready to run the race of her life,” Rowe said.
“This is the race she has been set for and I can’t get her any better.
“She has trained on from her previous win and hasn’t gone backwards.
“She has drawn well to get the run of the race and has the form.
“Everything is going right and if she is good enough she wins.
“When Shaun (O’Donnell) asks her for an effort she will let down strongly.”
Danehills Daughter will jump from barrier eight and be ridden by her regular jockey, Shaun O’Donnell.
He is out to claim his second Kalgoorlie Cup in five years after partnering Classique Ivory (2013).
Meanwhile Sharon Miller is confident Shinta Mani, placed at her past four starts, can back-up from her narrow loss to Already Famous in last week’s Boulder Cup.
The consistent mare raced greenly and was shunted wide on straightening, but she stormed home powerfully to finish a luckless short half head second.
“She just needs to settle a bit because she pulled a little the other day and it takes a kick out of her,” Miller said.
“But she ran a bottler of a race and the extra journey should suit her.
“She hasn’t gone backwards and is doing very well.”
Julio Santarelli