Lonhro Ready for Next Step on Plate Path

Friday, 23 August 2002 00:00

Octagonal's brilliant son Lonhro gets a chance to extend his winning streak to nine when he runs in tomorrow afternoon's Group Two $151,400 San-Miguel Warwick Stakes (1400m) in Sydney.

The John Hawkes trained four-year-old is set to start a short priced favourite in the race and connections will be hoping what happened in the race fifteen years ago won't be repeated tomorrow.

Campaign King started an unbackable 1/3 favourite in the Warwick Stakes some 15 years ago only to be blowsed by the 500/1 pop Pablo's Pulse.

Lonhro, last season's runaway Three-Year-Old of the Year champion, is being aimed toward the Carlton Draught Cox Plate at Moonee Valley in Melbourne.

Hawkes has said that he is choosing Lonhro's races one by one on his path to the weight-for-age championship in October.

Five of Lonhro's seven rivals tomorrow are going into the Warwick Stakes first up. They include last season's Group One winners Carnegie Express, Defier, Mr. Bureaucrat and Republic Lass.

Darren Beadman has declared he will be fit to ride the budding champion tomorrow despite an injury scare at the mid week meeting in Sydney.

The Guy Walter trained Defier looks as if he is going to be the horse to beat in the Warwick. He hasn't started since downing Freemason in the Group One Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

A five-year-old gelding by Dehere, Defier has been given two easy trials in Sydney in preparation for tomorrow. Chris Munce will take the ride.

PICS - Quentin Lang.