Young driver Kristy Sheehy has formed a wonderful association with tiny pacer Bhagwan and the 21-year-old is confident that the WA-bred five-year-old will make the most of a favourable barrier by winning the $20,000 Heineken Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Bhagwan, trained at Cardup by Neill Lloyd, has been racing in tremendous form from wide barriers and Sheehy is looking forward keenly for the comparative luxury of Bhagwan starting from the No. 3 barrier on the front line in the 2130m event for M0 to M2-class pacers.
Bhagwan is an M0 performer and Sheehy is confident he will be able to outspeed his rivals, eight of whom have a M1 classification.
Sheehy has driven Bhagwan 14 times and only twice has the gelding not finished in the top four. Her record behind Bhagwan is three wins, four seconds, four thirds, one fourth and an eighth and a 12th placing.
Despite his modest assessment Bhagwan has been a splendid moneyspinner, earning $91,161 from ten wins, 15 seconds and 11 thirds from 70 starts.
“Barrier three this week is a lot better than barriers eight and nine I’ve been getting with him,” Sheehy said. “The plan is to go to the front. He is the fastest horse I have driven out from behind the mobile, and Lance Justice had some pretty quick beginners, including My Lady of the Night.
“He’s up with the best horses I’ve driven and I think he’s going to develop into a pretty decent horse. I know he’s a renowned frontrunner, but I think he’s getting stronger and stronger every time he goes around. Last week’s run (when he worked hard in the breeze and fought on grandly to finish fourth behind Thats Rite) was probably the best of his runs when he has been beaten.”
Sheehy, who drove Cherokee Bromac to an all-the-way victory in a Garrard’s Concession Drivers’ Challenge at Pinjarra on Monday, nominated Lagoon Stride and Maggies Mystery as the hardest for Bhagwan to beat on Friday night.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
