28 September 2021 | Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing
Hobby trainer-driver Kyle Pratten will be hoping six-year-old gelding Loyola Trios can notch up another win when he lines up in the last of seven races in Hobart on Tuesday night.
Loyola Trios has caught the eye on the replays and Tasracing’s calculated sectionals in many runs since arriving in the state, where he has either had poor barrier draws or finished off well after having poor luck in running.
“He is the most unluckiest horse since I bought him,” said Pratten ahead of Tuesday’s assignment.
Loyola Trios has only had seven starts since arriving in the state, and he is certainly paying his way.
“I am only a hobbyist, and I only look for $2,000 or $3,000 horses that might knock off a couple of races and then I try to sell them on, the only problem is my partner falls in love with them and we end up keeping them,” said Pratten.
Pratten didn’t intend on going to Hobart last Sunday, instead changing his mind after a third placing in Devonport on 12 September.
“I think one of his best runs was his third in Devonport, he got taken out of the race pretty much by a $101 pop coming out in front of him, and I had to go wide down the back and around that small track for a horse like him that takes a while to wind up, I thought he went super.
“I intended on not taking him to Hobart last week, given it is a bit of an effort to go three and a half hours each way, but because he did go so well in Devonport, I decided to nominate him and it turned out to be a good move with him winning so I will take credit for it,” Pratten explained.
Coming up with another poor barrier on Tuesday, Pratten is expecting another forward showing.
“He has drawn seven again but with only eight in it drawing out there isn’t going to be that bad with not a full second-row, there are a few nice horses in the race, I think my horse over the last 200m is pretty deadly so if he is thereabouts he shouldn’t be far away,” Pratten said.
Tuesday’s card, which was transferred from last Friday evening, will be shown on Sky Racing 1 and TasracingTV, with the first of seven races commencing at 19:17.
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