Leebaz striving to gallop ahead of stablemates by winning Hawkesbury Gold Cup
TALENTED Leebaz can secure “bragging rights” over acclaimed stablemates Mossfun and Messene if he wins the Group 3 $150,000 Panthers Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1600m) at Hawkesbury on Saturday.
Leebaz has won four races already this season and is equal with Golden Slipper heroine Mossfun and boom galloper Messene plus Entirely Platinum and Laohu as the “winningest” gallopers to come out of Team Hawkes during 2013-14.
The multiple successes of gallopers like Leebaz this season typifies the skilful race placement of the Hawkes stable, which has led to their most successful season since Hall of Famer John Hawkes formed a training partnership with his sons Wayne and Michael six seasons ago.
In fact, Forster’s win at Canterbury on Wednesday was the stable’s 86th success since August 1 last year, eclipsing their previous best win-haul set in 2012-13 and improving their strike-rate to a winner every four starters — clearly the best in Sydney racing.
“It has been a good season, we certainly can’t complain,” John Hawkes said. “But the last thing we worry about is strike-rates. We don’t run our horses for the sake of running them.
“What we do try to do is place our horses in the right races where they can be competitive. If you get that right, the rest takes care of itself.”
Leebaz, a son of super sire Zabeel, began his season by winning first-up at Hawkesbury back in September and returns there for the stand-alone meeting on Saturday aiming for a breakthrough stakes success at what is likely to be the four-year-old’s final race for the season.
“I would think the Hawkesbury Cup will probably see him out for the autumn, I don’t think we will press on to Scone or Brisbane,” Hawkes said.
“He’s a promising horse who makes his own luck in running, and he handles soft ground if it happens to rain.”
Leebaz scored dominant wins at Randwick and Warwick Farm to start his autumn campaign before a luckless second to Weary in the Doncaster Prelude on Golden Slipper Day.
Weary has subsequently run successive placings at Group 1 level when third to Sacred Falls in the Doncaster Mile and second to Hana’s Goal in the All Aged Stakes, franking the formline.
Thus, it is not surprising Leebaz dominates betting at $1.90 with TAB Fixed Odds for the Hawkesbury Gold Cup on Saturday.
The Hawkesbury stand-alone carries metropolitan status and Team Hawkes could further improve their season statistics with Chautauqua the $4.20 favourite for the Group 3 $150,000 Blacktown Workers Hawkesbury Guineas (1400m), while last-start winner Agent is rated a $7 chance for the $125,000 XXXX Gold Hawkesbury Rush (1100m).
Story: Ray Thomas Daily Telegraph