Kerry Weir believes his mare Laurel Hill is well over the odds leading into Sunday’s $150,000 Southern Districts Country Championships qualifier at Albury.
Trained in Tumut, the Smart Missile mare is a $23 chance with bookmakers but is a galloper who has always boasted ability.
Throughout what Weir described as a ‘luckless career’, she’s won twice and been in the money a further eight times in 17 starts.
Bred and raced in Tumut by Andy and Sue Groves, the four-year-old won her maiden over 1065m at Wagga in late 2022 and prevailed in a 1200m Class One Handicap, again at Wagga, in November.
Still, her form since then suggests she has been building towards this race.
In December, Laurel Hill stormed home to run fifth, beaten six lengths by Mosgold in a 1400m Class Three Highway Handicap at Randwick, but didn’t pull up the best after the trip back from Sydney.
Since then, she’s been finishing off her races at Wagga, coming third to Broadside Armour in a 1200m Benchmark 66 Handicap on January 16 before running fourth to Missile Leader in the 1400m Class Two Handicap on January 26.
Earlier this month, Weir started Laurel Hill in the 1300m Class Four Preview at Wagga, and she came from last to finish an eye-catching second, beaten one and a quarter lengths by the Doug Gorrel-trained Asgarda, which is currently the $6-second favourite in Sunday’s wide-open qualifier.
“She’s had zero luck,” Weir told NSW Country and Picnic Racing.
“She has just been held up a lot and not getting clear runs, and to be honest, she needs to get to the outside.”
Weir has a big opinion of the country-bred mare, and he believes her last-start effort indicates she will be primed for Sunday.
“This time in, she is a lot bigger, a lot stronger, and everything we’ve done has been with this race in mind,” Weir said.
“We gave her a week in the paddock after Sydney, and last week, we only went back to the 1300m to get her a couple more (benchmark) points to make sure she got into the heat.
“It wasn’t the ideal distance, and she was still last at the 250m, and she flew home and was beaten a length after getting held up.
“With a clear run, she would have beaten Asgarda the other day, and that last little bit she motored.”
With the current scratchings, Laurel Hill should come out of gate ten, and Weir believes it will give jockey Jack Martin every chance to get her into space on the Albury straight.
“There is a lot of speed from a lot of the horses that are drawn wide, and some that are suss (suspect) at the distance,” Weir said.
“Jack will give her every chance, and that’s why he has had three rides on her; he knows her well.
“Don’t get me wrong, it would have been nice to be further in a couple, but it is what it is, and we’ll take it.
“From that barrier, we’ll probably be sitting three wide and hopefully get a clear run and a good crack at them.”
Weir was urged to set Laurel Hill for the 2023 Southern Districts qualifier, but he didn’t want to rush his mare, and it appears his decision is ready to pay off.
“She was only a three-year-old, so we kept her for this year, and she is ready,” Weir said.
“It’s been a long, hard road, and we’ve put a lot into it; it’s been a process.”
While Weir rates Laurel Hill’s chances, it won’t be an easy task for the Tumut galloper.
The Ron Stubbs-trained Bianco Vilano ($4.60) has Craig Williams on board and is back to defend his title.
At the same time, there is a wealth of talented gallopers in the Southern Districts, with their trainers looking to qualify a runner in the $1 million final at Royal Randwick on April 6.
For our editor’s thoughts on the Southern Districts qualifier, click here.
For more on the Country Championships, click here.
For more on the race day, click here.
