Juvenile Race A Family Affair
- Wednesday, 19 October 2011 03:45
Two sets of father and son trainers will engage in a "battle of the babies" when they start rival runners in the two-year-old race at Rosehill on Saturday.
Four-time Golden Slipper-winning trainer Clarry Conners will saddle up debutante Report in the Harvey Norman Hcp (1100m) while son Marc will send around Mai Tai Lady.
The Murray family, father Bede and son Paul, will also have a strong hand with Magical Talent and Kyoto respectively.
"Let's hope the sons prevail," Marc Conners said.
"But if I can't win then I would rather he (Clarry) did than anybody else."
Mai Tai lady is one of only five youngsters in the 14-strong field with race experience and Conners is banking on that being a telling factor.
After finishing third to Gimcrack Stakes winner Hussousa at her first trial she improved to beat Saturday's Moonee Valley entrant Diamond Earth in an 800m heat.
Conners sent her to the races and she fought on solidly for fifth to Tatra over 1100m at Rosehill on October 8.
"I thought her run was great," Conners said.
"She got into a position we didn't really want to be in in front but she boxed on really well and she was still quite green.
"She has gone ahead since that run so it can only be good for her."
Clarry Conners' runner Report is beautifully bred being a daughter of Canny Lad and a granddaughter of his 1992 Golden Slipper winner Burst.
She has finished runner-up in both trials but has drawn poorly in barrier 13 while Mai Tai Lady has gate five.
The other runners with race experience include topweight Emperor Of Rome who has won his only two starts in the country at Tamworth and Port Macquarie.
Temora Girl and Cordelia, sixth and seventh to Tatra respectively, and Rise To The Top, who is expected to bypass Rosehill for Moonee Valley, also have race day experience.
Meanwhile, Marc Conners reported exciting colt Didntcostalot pulled up well from his slashing debut win at Wyong last week and would have his next start at Gosford on October 27.
The three-year-old set a track record of 1:02.32 when he won an 1100-metre maiden by 5-1/2 lengths.
"There are not many that do what he did at their first start in a race," Conners said.
"The possibilities are there."
