Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Exciting pacer Lavra Joe resumed after a ten-month absence in magnificent style with a dashing victory in the 1730m Vale Tony Stampalia Free-For-All at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He has overcome setbacks during his time away from the track and looks set for a highly successful campaign, which includes the Pinjarra and Bunbury Cups in March and the $1,250,000 Nullarbor slot race and the $300,000 Fremantle Cup in April.
Kyle Harper, having his first race drive behind the Ray Jones-trained Lavra Joe, stole a march on his rivals by getting the five-year-old away with a lightning start from out wide at barrier seven.
Lavra Joe, the $3.50 second fancy, dashed over the opening quarters in 29.1sec. and 29.2sec. before sprinting over the final 400m sections in 28.1sec. and 27.6sec. to win by two and a half lengths from $16 chance Ima Fivestar General, rating 1.52.9.
“After his unplaced run in the Nullarbor last March he had three months off and then went back into work,” said Jones. “But then he went sore in the nearside back leg. It was like he had broken a leg; we couldn’t get him out of the paddock; that’s how sore he was.
“The vet couldn’t find the problem, and maybe it was just a stone bruise. It was about five weeks before the WA Pacing Cup which he had to miss. He then had a bit of a break and had a trial at Bunbury (on October 27) when he fibrillated and finished a long last in a field of three.
“So, he then had another break and impressed with a trial win at Bunbury (on December 8).”
Harper, who replaced champion reinsman Chris Lewis, who had driven Lavra Joe at his previous 54 starts, said that Lewis congratulated him after the win. “He is an idol of mine and is a real gentleman,” said Harper.
Harper said that he was keen to use Lavra Joe’s excellent gate speed but was not particularly confident of crossing straight to the front.
“There was a bit of a kerfuffle at the start, and we got to the front easily, and the race was pretty much over after the first 50 metres,” he said. “Lavra Joe is a very impressive horse, and he raced straighter than he did in his recent trial.”
The main reason why Lavra Joe got straight to the front was that Blitzembye, the $2.50 favourite from barrier five, was badly checked at the start when $14 chance Goodfellaz, from barrier four, galloped.
“We should’ve been in front,” said Blitzembye’s driver Shannon Suvaljko. “At the start Goodfellaz galloped and ran out and flipped me up on one wheel for the first 20 metres. So, I couldn’t come out of the gate, and nearly fell.”
Blitzembye settled down in fifth place and then obtained an ideal sit in the one-out and one-back position before finishing a well-beaten sixth.