Bernie wants Qld upset with in-form Lazarus “lad”

While another Queensland harness racing campaign gets underway tonight for visiting astute horseman Bernie Hewitt, it would be fair to say that causing a boil over at tomorrow night’s Redcliffe meeting might be uppermost on his mind.

Hewitt, of George’s Plains, near Bathurst, has the promising Lazarus-sired Kick The Switch and stablemate Royal Cruiser (Sweet Lou) in the $52,000 Comfort Inn and Suites Northgate G3 Redcliffe Derby.

“My wife Cath and I arrived up here on Tuesday with a team of 11 and the plan is to stay for six or seven weeks,” Hewitt said.

“We’re stabled near Coolangatta again.  The trip’s something we’ve done on and off over the past 20 years,” he said.

Kick The Switch was bred by Wayne Loader who is the stable’s main owner. Loader bought the dam Alphitonia (Flightpath) from the sales, and she won around $90,000. Her first foal was Laurie Dee (A Rocknroll Dance) who has won six races.

“We’re hoping Kick The Switch measures up.  So far, he’s done a great job with seven wins from 12 starts. I don’t know if he’s a true Derby horse, but we’ll find out,” Hewitt said.

“He’s won three of his past four and went 1.56-7 at Bathurst one night, but the race at Redcliffe has some pretty smart horses.

“He has shown he’s tough and also has good gate speed. He’s won a lot of his races in front. Around the stables he’s okay to work with, but now and again he can get a bit cranky.”

While Bernie will take the reins behind Kick The Switch, son Doug will drive Royal Cruiser.

Pre-post markets have Soho Spectre (Rickie Alchin) and Minos (Robert Morris) both at $3.80 chances, with the next best being the Nathan Purdon-trained Major Hot at $4.20. The Hewitt runners are long shots with Royal Cruiser quoted at $40 and Kick The Switch at $50.

The Hewitt barn will also be represented by two other runners in Novanta Rising ($14,500 Redcliffe Derby Consolation) and Jewel Melody ($20,000 Princess Of The Bay event for mares only).

Hewitt said he was happy with Jewel Melody’s third at Menangle last Saturday and he will be looking to add further to the mare’s impressive features resume.

She won both the Bathurst Gr1 Gold Tiara and Gr1 Gold Bullion in NSW as a two-year-old, and on her Qld campaign of that season won the Gr1 Brisbane APG sale graduate Gold and the Gr1 Triad.  Last season she followed up with the Listed Qld Oaks and the 3yo Triad during the Hewitts’ northern campaign.

Tonight, at Albion Park (June 28), the stable will kick off with Always Be Ronnie, Beachride and Ohoka Dream.

Hewitt is currently working a team of about 30.

“Our staff at home and a few other trainers will keep the others going while we’re away. It gets cold at Bathurst this time of the year, usually down to zero at night.  Before we left, there was a minus four, and so far the weather up here has been great!”

*Hoofnote: The first Australian crop of superstar Lazarus (Bettors Delight), who stands at Nevele R Stud for Alabar in New Zealand, continues to impress.

Lazarus is New Zealand’s greatest living standardbred and richest ever harness horse with earnings in excess of $4m. He was the winner of 15 Group 1 races throughout Australasia, including two NZ Cups, an Inter Dominion Final, the Hunter and Victoria Cups, plus the North American Grand Circuit features, the Dan Patch and the Hoosier Park Pacing Derby.

Well known NSW Riverina trainer Rod Woodhouse combined with driver Peter McRae to land Significant Laz (Lazarus-Significant Art). The three-year-old was a winner at his seventh start at Wagga Wagga on June 25.

The bay colt stuck to his guns nicely to win narrowly over Two Blues Bling and Lewendon in 1.57-8.

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink