Mudlark Jamaican Rain will get conditions to suit when she lines up on a heavy track in the Listed $175,000 Oaks Hotels & Resorts Glasshouse Handicap (1400m) at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday.
Tegan Harrison, above, rides Jamaican Rain in the 2018 Glasshouse Handicap at the Sunshine Coast. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Jamaican Rain has won once on a heavy track and has three wins and a second on a soft surface and the Richard Laming trained Victorian mare will be right at home on the Sunshine Coast track that is rated a heavy 8 on Friday afternoon.
Jamaican Rain is chasing a hat trick of wins after a win at Cranbourne on the heavy followed by a win at The Valley on a soft 5 rated track and is marked as the $4.40 favourite for the Glasshouse Handicap with Ladbrokes.com.au.
“It was scary good how she quickened up in that Cranbourne win on a heavy track,” Laming told Racenet.
“She has very good ability anyway but she grows a leg in the wet.
“A heavy track will be a big advantage as we will quicken up fantastically while a lot of them probably won’t be able to.”
“I could have run her last week in Brisbane but the track was firm that day and I’ve definitely done the right thing waiting for a week.
Tegan Harrison is the new rider for Jamaican Rain who has drawn out near the car park and will jump from two or three from the outside, depending on the scratchings, but Laming is not too concerned about the wide barrier.
“I don’t think the barrier will be too much of a problem, she will push forward and hopefully sit in the three wide line with cover, getting a tow into it from some others,” Laming said.
Sharing the second line of betting at $6.50 is the well performed Toowoomba four year old Niccanova and last start Eye Liner Stakes winner I’m A Rippa.
Niccanova is also a wet track specialist with four wins from four starts on rain affected tracks but has also drawn a horror gate while the Tony Gollan trained I’m A Rippa has one win and five minor placings on a soft racing surface.
Next in the betting at $9 is the Darren Weir trained Ulmann who was also given the visitor’s draw and the six year old can only claim one win on a heavy track from four attempts and only two minor placings on the soft.
