History will be made at Cruikshank Park on Friday night when champion reinsman Chris Lewis drives in Kalgoorlie for the first time in his distinguished 46-year career.
And he should celebrate the occasion by winning the $30,000 XXXX Gold Kalgoorlie-Boulder Cup with Im Full of Excuses.
“I have never even been to Kalgoorlie and I’m looking forward to the experience,” the 61-year-old master reinsman said.
Im Full of Excuses, a New Zealand-bred gelding owned by Merv Butterwortrh, is trained by Ross Olivieri, who is confident the five-year-old will prove hard to beat in the Cup, a 2518m stand in which he will start from barrier five on the front line.
Im Full of Excuses has raced only 25 times for ten wins, four placings and stakes of $82,658. After being unplaced in a mobile event at his West Australian debut, Im Full of Excuses has been most impressive in winning in stands at his next three starts — twice over 2631m at Pinjarra and once over 2503m at Gloucester Park.
“This will be my first trip to Kalgoorlie for many, many years,” Olivieri said. “Im Full of Excuses is a good one and I’ve nominated him for the interdominion championship series, but though I think he’s an Inters horse. I don’t think he is this year.
“He needs seasoning and to learn a bit more. He’s a bit of a dummy, but he is a fast dummy. They’ll know he’s there in Friday night’s Cup.”
Lewis also has brought prospects at the meeting with the Olivieri-trained and Butterworth-owned Our Jericho and Frostyflyer.
Our Jericho will clash with Phoenix Warrior and Ohoka Squire (both trained by Greg and Skye Bond) in the Milton Cairnduff Memorial, a 2550m mobile event, and Frostyflyer will start from the No. 1 barrier in the 1750m TABtouch Mount Eden Mile.
Lewis will also drive the Olivieri-trained Limelight Bay and On My Oath, Khun Lek and Truth Without Fear for local trainer Dean Kelly on Friday night.
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