By Duane Ranger
Morrinsville trainer, Roger Villiger has already trained a winner this season but warns punters his three runners at the Cambridge meeting tomorrow (Thursday) are place chances at best.
The Villiger trained and Warren Rich driven Count Landeck won an amateur event at Cambridge Raceway on August 3, but believed the rise in class this week might be a road too far for the Bettor’s Delight entire.
He also believed recent workout winners Bubbles O’Leary (Ben Butcher) and Rosado (Dylan Ferguson), who both start in the sixth event, would be better for the run.
“Bubbles O’Leary won her workout okay but it was only against a couple of learners and she won in a sedate time of 2:52. She should really have had another workout before this race but there’s no more races here for three weeks so I thought I’d bite the bullet.
“She goes okay, but I think she would be a better proposition with a couple more runs under her belt,” Villiger said.
He believed Rosado, who starts two gates outside her stablemate at five, was a slightly better chance, only because she had raced since winning her Workout (2:50.6) at Cambridge on July 22.
“She went okay for fourth at Cambridge a couple of weeks ago when she was less than two lengths from winning. That was her first start since the Christmas Eve meeting here last year.
“She would probably be the best of my three going around on Thursday,” Villiger said.
Both of Villiger’s two Real Desire mares in race six have only had 11 races between them: Bubbles O’Leary one third from seven starts, and Rosado two fourths from four starts.
Philip Butcher will drive Count Landeck in the eight event – the $8,000 Sweet Lou early Bird Special for the R577 to R66 pacers.
He needed two races this campaign before winning an up to R56 amateur event last start.
The 6-year-old bay led going out of the straight the first time and easily held out his eight opponents thereafter winning by almost three lengths.
Count Landeck (R58) paced the 2200m mobile in 2:47 even (mile rate 2:02.1) and came home in 59.2 and 29 flat. Thursday’s race is also a 2200m mobile – a distance he has won twice and placed five times from 26 attempts.
“He drew five last start and with the scratching will come into three this time. I still think it might be a bit rich for him.
“I’m not expecting big things because of the class-rise, but with just six in the field he could place with the nice trip,” Villiger said.
Villiger has had three starters to the races this season for a win. All-up he’s trained 94 winners from 1,152 starters, placed 203 times for $549,433 in stakes.
“I’m working about eight at the moment and I would say that Spare Change is probably the pick of them, and then Count Landeck,” said Villiger who trained four winners and 11 place-getters from 53 starters last season.
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