Lazarus youngster shows promise in the west

Promising 3yo gelding Atlas the Titan is showing plenty of the customary grit of his sire Lazarus – a trait that’s pleasing leading West Australian harness racing trainer Gary Hall Snr.

Atlas the Titan posted the second win of his career with another tough, death-seat performance at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night (May 28).

To see the race replay, click here.

“He is only a little horse, but he has some of the Lazarus attributes – he can stay which Lazarus obviously did plenty of in his career,” Hall said.

“Atlas the Titan perhaps lacks a bit of point-to-point speed at this stage of his development, but he can definitely win when he gets the race run to suit. He is tough and will go on to win races at Gloucester Park in town, I think,” he said.

Lazarus, who stands at Nevele R Stud for Alabar in New Zealand, is acknowledged as possibly that country’s greatest-ever standardbred. He won 15 Group races in Australasia, including two NZ Cups, an Inter Dominion, the Hunter and Victoria Cups, as well as North American features, the Dan Patch and the Hoosier Pacing Derby.

Atlas the Titan is the 21^st individual winner for Lazarus on Australian soil, from just 35 of his progeny to race so far.

“He didn’t race as a two-year-old. The owners were keen to leave him as a colt, but we eventually decided being a colt wasn’t doing him any good, so we gelded him and brought him back as a three year old,” Hall said.

“A horse that is a little bit on the smaller size will often grow if they are gelded.  People tend to think the opposite, but in his case, he did grow, and he’s filled out, so it looks to have been a good call,” he said.

“We will just keep pottering along with him for the time being and probably aim him at the WA Sires races later in the season.”

Hall, who has trained such stars as double Inter Dominion champ Imthemightyquinn, has scaled back his training operation over the past two seasons.

“I haven’t got as many as I used to.  At times we’d get up to 45 horses here but I’m 75 this year and I’d rather concentrate now more on the quality than the quantity,” he said.

“We’ve got 24 horses in work at the moment.  We don’t lead them or use a jogger, they all get worked in the cart.  I love to get horses from people who use jogging machines because you can improve them out of sight,” he laughed.

“But there are five staff here and we start at 6.30 and usually finish around 11 in the morning, so that’s not too bad.

“We’ve got a couple of really nice four years olds this year, and they’re the ones that keep me pushing at the moment. All going well they will go to the Gold Nugget and the big 4yo races towards the end of the season.”

“Mister Smartee is probably the second-best horse I have ever trained, so we will see how we go,” Hall said.

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink