Toowoomba trainer Rex Lipp won’t be changing the race day tactics for his backmarker In His Stride in the Listed $175,000 HMR Projects Glasshouse Handicap (1400m) at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday.
Paul Hammersley, above, rides In His Stride in the Glasshouse Handicap at the Sunshine Coast. Photo by Daniel Costello.
In His Stride’s racing style is to get back in the field before making one late run at the finish post and while this has resulted in the Rothsay gelding getting the judge’s nod on four occasions from thirty-five starts, he has also found himself in the runner’s up stall seven times.
“He’s a horse that just has to have everything go his way from the turn, to finish over the top of them,” Lipp told The Courier-Mail.
“You can’t ride him any other way. We’ve tried to ride him a bit closer, but it just hasn’t worked.
“That means we’ve come home from the races plenty of times with hardluck stories. It’s been frustrating, but he’s still won more than $500,000.
“One of these days he will win a big one.”
Over his career Lipp said that In His Stride has had a frustrating run of very close seconds which includes his last start nose second to Monsieur Gustave after storming home from near the tail of the field in the Listed $175,000 City Of Ipswich Eye Liner Stakes (1350m) at Ipswich on June 17.
In His Stride also missed out on the biggest pay day of his career by a nose when a late finishing second to Madotti in the $1m Magic Millions QTIS Open (1300m) at the Gold Coast on January 14.
That centimetre or two could have almost doubled In His Stride’s already impressive prizemoney total of $533,900 and instead of collecting the runner’s up cheque of $185,000, with a bit of luck Magic Millions could have been handing over the lucrative winning cheque of $600,000.
In His Stride has drawn barrier three in the fourteen horse field with Paul Hammersley to ride but Lipp said that an inside gate was no real advantage for the four year old who needs plenty of clear space in the straight to produce his trademark finishing burst.
“Inside draws don’t help him. It’s no good being on the fence with him,” Lipp said.
“He just has to get a clear run so he can build momentum and use that big finish he has.”
In His Stride is rated as a $14 chance for the Glasshouse Handicap while Eye Liner Stakes winner Monsieur Gustave is marked at $11 even though he meets Lipp’s horse 1kg worse off.
The Desleigh Forster trained Too Good To Refuse has been installed the $6.50 favourite in a wide open betting race following some good Winter Carnival form that has seen him finish a close second to Miss Gunpowder in the Listed $100,000 Makers Mark Hinkler Handicap (1200m) at Doomben on June 10 followed by a fast finishing third to Burning Passion in the Group 3 $175,000 W.J. Healy Stakes (1200m) at Doomben last Saturday.
