Father Lenihan, rails, staves off a late burst by One Prize One Goal at Awapuni. PHOTO: Race Images.
Like mum, improving galloper Father Lenihan looks to have a big mile in him
By Barry Lichter • 5 November 2018
Father Lenihan only has keep improving to be competitive in a big mile one day like his mum, tips in-form trainer Lisa Latta.
Latta, who claimed a three-win bag for the second weekend on end when Father Lenihan, Last Chance and Five To Midnight scored at Awapuni, likes the way Father Lenihan never stops improving.
And in the O’Reilly four-year-old she sees some of the traits of his dam Platinum Princess, who won a Couplands Mile and Rich Hill Mile for Latta and Lincoln Farms in 2011-12.
“He has her great temperament and always tries hard and like mum he needs wetter tracks.’’
Platinum Princess won the big Riccarton mile on a dead track and it was even worse, a slow 8, when she took the Ellerslie New Year’s Day feature.
“He can hit the ground quite hard on the better tracks but when he gets the right conditions he’s very good. The ground really suited him on Saturday.‘’
Robbie Hannam has Father Lenihan humming down the home straight at Awapuni. PHOTO: Race Images.Pitted against rating 65 rivals over 1400 metres, Father Lenihan was punched straight to the top by rider Robbie Hannam and, just when it looked like he would be gobbled up, he found a big kick and easily staved off a late burst by One Prize One Goal to score by half a length.
“You just have to find the right track for him, not heavy, but in the slow range.
“While the weather is all over the shop we’ll keep him ticking over. He’ll go in a rating 72 next and we’ll just keep building up his points.
“The way he keeps improving I think he can eventually run in a big mile and he’s obviously at his best when there’s rain around.
“He’s only four and lightly raced. He’s just taken a bit of time to mature physically.”
Father Lenihan was having just his eighth start on Saturday.
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Lisa’s comments
Friday at Awapuni
Race 8: Lincoln Towers
4.53pm
“He needs two more scratchings to make the field and, because it’s the first day back racing at Awapuni and they’re running only 12 horses, that looks doubtful. I decided to run him over 1400 metres as I think leaving him at 1200 wouldn’t be the right thing to do. He has continued to work well and had a really nice gallop on the course proper this week.”
Stephen’s comments
Saturday at Te Rapa
Race 7: Billy Lincoln
3.37pm
“He’s bounced out of his trial (third on the Cambridge synthetic) very well and it’s time to kick him off. I wouldn’t expect him to win at 1200 metres but it will bring him on nicely. Then we’ll step him up to a more suitable 1400 and second-up he can be very competitive. Rihaan Goyaram rides and claims 3kg down to 53.5kg.”