by Wayne Currall
Herne Hill horseman Kevin Keys doesn’t have many horses in work these days, opting for quality over quantity but the 69-year-old trainer knows a good horse when he sees one.
After all, Keys trained and drove the injury-prone Tartary Gladiator to victory over Adams Mate and Global Force in the $100,000 Golden Nugget championship at Gloucester Park in 2005. Recurring problems in Tartary Gladiator’s nearside foreleg restricted his career, but the unwavering care and attention from Keys kept him coming back to the racetrack and the horse repaid Keys in spades with some outstanding victories.
On Friday night at headquarters, Keys will gear up his quality filly Sarah Goody in the last race, the Retravision 3YO Fillies Pace (1730m). Punters haven’t seen Sarah Goody at the racetrack since she finished a terrific second behind outstanding filly Maczaffair in the Group 1 Gannon’s WA Oaks (2536m) at GP on May 5. On that occasion, Sarah Goody mixed her gait from a wide alley shortly after the start and was back at the tail of field for most of the race before driver Chris Lewis slipped her some rein and she rocketed home. It was a great effort by Sarah Goody, a horse many people believed could only win from the front but Keys believes the filly is just as effective coming from behind. “She’s got a few strings to her bow,” Keys said. “I actually think she’s better from behind. I gave her three weeks off after the Oaks, just to freshen her up. She’s been up for a fair while now and she appreciates the little breaks I give her. I’m very happy with her going into Friday night’s race. She’s drawn well and I think she can lead from gate three over the sprint trip.”
Champion reinsman Chris Lewis seems certain to use Sarah Goody’s brilliant turn of foot out of the machine to take up the running and if she finds the top, the other nine fillies in the race will have a big job trying to overhaul her.
Keys said he was aiming Sarah Goody for the $100,000 Westbred 3YO Fillies Pace at headquarters at the end of June. “Being a Westbred series we won’t run into the likes of Maczaffair,” he said. “That’s a bonus because Sarah (Goody) finished second to her in the Oaks and also second behind her in the Daintys Daughter Classic when she did things wrong at the start.”
Sarah Goody, a regal-looking daughter of Rich And Spoilt, has won seven times and been placed on six occasions in her 20-start career. She has banked more than $86,000 for connections and will take her earnings to just shy of the magical $100,000 mark if successful on Friday night.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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