Arise Louie VII

Although he was made hot favourite after winning his last three races, the Steve and Amanda Telfer trained Bar Louie (Sweet Lou) was racing some high grade talent in today’s Kurow Hotel Kurow – Kurow Cup at Oamaru.

Through the first part of the race Bar Louie and driver Tim Williams were caught three wide before rolling to the top with just over a lap to run.

“He got away great but with that wee skirmish we had to give ourselves a bit of room. Unfortunately we couldn’t get back in. So to be three deep and roll onto the top was a great effort. He hasn’t been driven like that before so credit to the horse. He really knuckled down late” Williams said after the run.

BAR LOUIE REPLAY

At the end of the 2600 metres Bar Louie had a half a length to spare over Franco Sinatra with Tabasco a head back in third.

The winning time was 3-15.2.

The win was the three year old’s fourth in a row and the seventh in his twelve start career.

Bar Louie won his first two races out of the Stonewall Stud northern barn. But Amanda said the horse was sent south as he wasn’t that tractable racing right handed.

“It wound him up and got him a bit upset. He’s come down here and he’s handling it a treat. He’s a bit older and he’s matured. I’m walking him now and he’s so relaxed and chilled. He’s just a lovely horse,” she said.

Telfer admits it’s been difficult to programme a race for the talented three year old.

“There was probably nowhere else he could go. There was a temptation to run him in the National Handicap but we had Alta Meteor in there. We didn’t want two in the race so we just held off and came here.”

So what’s next for this exciting three year old?

“We’re going to target the bigger three year old races with him and there are some open three year old races coming up. One of the main targets in the Velocity. He’ll go home and have a couple of easy days, then we’ll look at the programmes and see where he heads.”

Amanda was pretty confident going in to the race.

“I was talking to Tim before the race. He said it was a big field and there’s some nice proven horses in the race. I said I really like this horse and I think he’ll go a long way. I was pretty happy with what he did today.”

The gelding is part owned by Scott Plant.

Plant and Steve Stockman of Stonewall Stud go back a long way with their first winner being Charioteer at the Franklin meeting in October 2007.

Since then the pair have had a host of winners including Cruiser Franco, No Doctor Needed, Ideal Roman, Check In, Dance Time, Triple Eight and Mimi E Coco.

“He usually goes in with some of the ones Stocky buys.”  

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink