TRADITION

Two weeks ago, the horse ran well over 1800m on dirt, jumping slowly and settling towards the back before making a strong move in the middle stages to finish fourth. He then trialed over a Happy Valley mile with a five-pound weight reduction. Despite facing decent competition in that trial and drawing a good barrier, his overall record of zero wins from twelve attempts at this distance doesn’t favor him. Connections are hoping for an improved showing but acknowledge the unfavorable statistics.