Lettuce Nipya is too fast

THE Goulburn trained speedster Lettuce Nipya (Tintin In America) ran his harness racing rivals ragged in the Group 2 NSW Breeders Challenge Blue (3YO Colts & Geldings) Final at Menangle.

The Brad Hewitt trained and driven gelding was full of running early as he took the field through the first 800 metres in a slick 53.3 seconds.

Hewitt didn’t let up on Lettuce Nipya ($2.25 fav) who outclassed the opposition in the run to the line scoring by 10 metres from Paradise Point in a time of 1:49.8 for the flying mile.

Hewitt admitted he was slightly concerned when he glanced at the clock with 800 metres to travel.

“I was a bit worried when I looked up and saw what we had run the first half in,” Hewitt said.

“But I knew I had the main danger (Dangerous Threats) outside me and he was doing it tougher than us,” he said.

Hewitt believes a trip to Queensland for the winter carnival has fast forwarded the horse’s progress.

“He put on weight up there and he’s been a different horse since returning and now he’s won all three starts since coming home,” he said.

Hewitt said Lettuce Nipya had been a work in progress.

“He’s been a frustrating horse because at home he was working like a proper horse with the open class horses but wasn’t delivering on the race track,” he said.

LETTUCE NIPYA REPLAY

Hewitt said Lettuce Nipya was well suited by the short course.

“He’s an out and out miler and loves the short distance races,” he said.

Hewitt said Lettuce Nipya will contest the upcoming NSW Breeders Challenge.

“He just needs a bit of luck with the barrier and he’ll be hard to beat as he is going as well as any of his age at the moment- he’s in the zone,” he said.

For complete race results, click here.

by John Dunne, for Harnesslink