Cooper chases second leg of sister act in Pallarenda

Cairns trainer Scott Cooper is hoping it’ll be a case of what big sister does, little sister can do just as well in Saturday’s prestigious Ladbrokes Pallarenda Stakes at Cluden Park.

Cooper won last year’s edition of the season’s first two-year-old race with Gold Classic and is quietly confident her full sister Alberta Bound can make it a rare winning double after a runaway trial win in Cairns.

“I just don’t know how good the ones behind her were, but she did a lot right,” Cooper said.

“I’ve added the visors to her gear to make her concentrate a bit more because she was still a little bit green.

“If she runs up to her trial she’ll be in the finish, that‘s for sure.

“She’s a full sister to Gold Classic and it’d be a great if we can win it again.

“This filly is similar looking to her sister but nature wise they’re a bit different.

“Gold Classic’s a hot, forward going type of horse and this one’s a little bit greener, looks around a bit more and doesn’t concentrate as much.

“But galloping wise they’re very similar and this one has always shown that bit of pace. Because I ride them myself at the track I get a fair idea of how they’re going.”

“I took her up to the track here for the last two races before she trialled just to see how she handled being in the tie up stalls and she just stood there unfazed.

“I’m very confident we can run in the first four.

“She’s drawn nine so getting out well and galloping in clear space will be the key to it.

“Normally you see the winner come from the first three or four in the run in those early two-year-old races.”

A win for Alberta Bound would not just be a triumph for Cooper but also for Shelly Lynham and Don Scheffler who share in the ownership of the two sisters who are both by Dracarys out of the mare Alberta.

And like Gold Classic, Alberta Bound was picked out at the Magic Millions QTIS sales by respected horseman and former trainer Leon Morton whose wife Bev is also in the ownership group.

Closer to home, Townsville trainer Georgie Holt is keen on her chances of claiming another Pallarenda again with Better Than Ready colt Better Blitzem and Boomious, by Spirit Of Boom.

Holt tasted success in the race with Average Jane and Time To Prophet when the race was run in separate divisions for the colts and geldings, and fillies.

Better Blitzem and Boomious both showed they were on target, running the quinella in the Townsville trial over 850m on October 7.

“Both of ours are coming along nicely and they’ll be very competitive,” Holt said.

“We don’t really get to the bottom of them before the races so they might lack a bit under race day pressure on debut but they’re pretty forward.

“Better Blitzem looks like he’s going half pace but there hasn’t been anything to go with him to push him.

“The other horse has done a bit of chasing behind Better Blitzem and that type of experience might be the telling factor come race day.

“But from working at home Better Blitzem seems like he might be a pretty smart type.”

The Pallarenda is Race 6 and the highlight of Saturday’s seven-event card which will be covered nationally on TAB and Sky Channel.