Vasari and Hayden Barnes demolish their rivals at Redcliffe nine days ago. PHOTO: Michael McInally.
Vasari can run a hole but Hayden won’t beat Brendan, says dad of Saturday night’s race
By Barry Lichter • 2 August 2019
Vasari won’t be winning at Albion Park on Saturday night but he’s drawn in the right place to place, says trainer Al Barnes.
The last-start Redcliffe winner has drawn the inside of the second row, at first glance a bad place for a horse who likes to roll.
But with pole runner Thatswhatisaid the leader and almost certain winner, Barnes is hoping Vasari can find enough early gate speed to hold his back or at least run three deep on the markers.
“Either way he should earn a cheque. If he trails all the way he can run a close second to Thatswhatisaid but he won’t beat him. He’s a very nice horse who hasn’t had much luck lately.”
Al Barnes with son Brendan who drives hotpot Thatswhatisaid against Vasari on Saturday night.Barnes knows the form of Jack Butler’s horse well, with his son Brendan the regular pilot.
With older son Hayden on Vasari, Barnes is hoping for a family affair at the wire but says his own horse is a real trick to drive.
“If Hayden fires him up, he won’t be able to stop him. You’ve got to keep him happy and not fight him.
“That makes it hard because I have to try to place him in races where we can do that. You can’t drive him aggressively at Albion Park because they don’t let you go and you have to kill him early if you shoot for the front.”
Barnes reports Vasari is feeling super after his Redcliffe win nine days ago when he went within three tenths of a second of the track record with his 1:55.2 mile rate for 1780 metres.
But Thatswhatisaid will be going a lot faster than that on Saturday night. A Menangle mile winner in 1:51.4, he couldn’t work clear last time but showed in his first two runs in the state that he would thrive with a win and second.
Vasari might be having his 84th start on Satrurday night but he continues to be a regular money spinner for Lincoln Farms and its partners Ian Middleton, Rod and Sue Fleming and Peter Jeffares.
He was the fourth highest money winner for Lincoln Farms in the season just ended with $34,759 in stakes, behind Make Way, Northview Hustler and Trojan Banner.
Vasari runs at 7.43pm NZ time at Albion Park on Saturday night.
More news in Harness
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Maggie’s outgrown her pacifier and is ready to run a Homer on debut at Auckland on Friday
Ray: Copy Ten Four will go better left-handed at Cambridge on Thursday night. Roger that.
Ray: Omaha Lincoln still improving and can feature again in Friday’s Sires’ Stakes heat
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Copy Ten Four
6.19pm
“He’s better going left-handed and he only has to get round safely to be right in the fray. He’s no champion but he’s not a bad horse.”
Race 3: Rivergirl Bella
7.09pm
“She should lead easily and be the one to beat. She was desperately unlucky last time and she’s in good shape.”
Race 5: Leo Lincoln
7.59pm
“He goes much better the Cambridge way round and, while he’s at the mercy of what they do in front of him, he just needs to see a bit of daylight to be right in it.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 3: Rivergirl Maggie
6.07pm
“It’s her first time at the Park, so you have to take that into consideration, but she’s a little trier and it wouldn’t surprise me to see her go close. She wasn’t strong enough early to go on with but she’s strengthened up now.”
Race 5: Sammy Lincoln
7.10pm
“He’s as good as anything in the field on ability and he’s in the zone at the moment. All he needs is a trip and he’s better drawn in three this time so should go well.”
