No grey areas here - Kozzi will jump and run on Volos who is happy and working a treat
By Barry Lichter • 26 September 2019
Platinum Volos meets a few much better performed rivals in the greys’ race at New Plymouth on Saturday but is a sneaky place chance with his light weight and inside draw.
A rating 68 horse pitted against open sprinters like Von Tunzelman (r92) and Battle Time (r85), and up-and-comers like Lilly Thunder (r78) and Polly Grey (r77), Platinum Volos looks up against it on paper.
But while he has opened sixth favourite in the eight-horse field, trainer Lisa Latta still expects him to be very competitive from the inside gate with only 52.5kg on his back and talented apprentice Kozzi Asano doing the steering.
In his first ride on Platinum Volos two weeks ago at Awapuni, Asano bounced the horse out to lead and was collared only in the last 50 metres, finishing one and a half lengths third to Red Forest and Our Chloe.
He has another 100 metres to go on Saturday but will carry 2kg less and Latta says he will be ridden more positively than the last time he raced at New Plymouth when fourth in August.
“We took the speed out of him that day. He jumped well and we dropped him back but we won’t do that on Saturday. He’ll be right there which is the way to ride them on that track.”
Platinum Volos is a happy horse, says trainer Lisa Latta.Latta says she doesn’t know what’s caused it but Platinum Volos is in a much better space than he was a few months ago.
“He went through a stage where I thought he didn’t want to be there and when he was standing in the gates we were thinking the same thing.
“But he’s a happy horse at the moment and he’s working well and looking fantastic.”
Latta isn’t too worried about Platinum Volos racing in an open handicap - “he finished pretty close in that open sprint at Wanganui two starts back.”
Carrying 54kg, Platinum Volos ran fifth, 2.5 lengths from Brother One on a heavy 10 track.
“The heavier the better for him but I don’t think we’re going to get much more rain so it could end up in the slow range and being quite gluey.”
The New Plymouth track was rated a heavy 10 this morning and no more than 5ml of rain is predicted before raceday.
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Lisa’s comments
Saturday at Otaki
Race 3: Platinum Tyche
1:19pm
“I couldn’t be happier with her work and she has certainly improved from her first-up run when she did not have all favours. I don’t think it’s the strongest of fields and the forecast is looking good so I think she will get her chance to bounce back to winning form. Bruno Queiroz rides from gate four.”
Race 5: Platinum Attack
2:29pm
“He drew badly in 19 but they will start only 14 so he will come in to 13 or 14. The positive is there is good speed in the race with Shoes, Party Rocking and Idyllic who all go forward. I couldn’t be happier with him - his final work on Wednesday morning on the course proper was as strong as ever. He still has his summer coat and is looking fantastic. It’s a similar field to the one he beat last start at Trentham and Bruno Queiroz just needs to find some luck in the running.”