Second Effort joined esteemed company at Caulfield last Saturday when relishing the Heavy track on offer to claim the Group 2 P.B Lawrence Stakes (1400m) with a career best performance.
Photo by Racing and Sports
Photo by Racing and Sports
Photo by Bronwen Healy
The Clinton McDonald-trained galloper had disappointed in his two prior runs after the then five-year-old commenced a winter campaign with a pair of wins.
In testing conditions with race fitness on his side, Second Effort bounced back to the winners circle last Saturday with a solid 1.3 length victory in the Group 2 P.B Lawrence Stakes (1400m).
Second Effort beat a handy field in doing so, getting the better of Group 1 winning gallopers Luckygray and Heart Of Dreams plus useful Group performed sprinters Ready To Rip and Zamorar.
The six-year-old gelding also recorded a new peak Timeform figure of 115 in the process, six pounds clear of the 109 he ran to when winning the Wangoom Handicap (1200m) at Warrnambool.
His latest success in the P.B Lawrence Stakes sits well below the prior five year winning average of the event which is expected when looking at the list of high class gallopers who have claimed latest renewals.
While Second Effort went into the 2012 running of the Lawrence Stakes fifth up, the race is regularly used as a starting point for many top spring carnival contenders.
Eight time Group winner Whobegotyou claimed his final stakes success in last years P.B Lawrence Stakes assessed at 120.
Shoot Out and Predatory Pricer each ran to 124 during their successes in 2010 and 2009 respectively while popular gallopers Light Fantastic [2009] and Apache Cat [2008] each recorded impressive wins assessed at 125.
Other star gallopers to have launched spring campaigns from the P.B Lawrence Stakes include Pompeii Ruler, Mahogany, Dr Grace, Sydeston and Better Loosen Up.
At this stage Clinton McDonald is unsure where Second Effort will start next with his opposition expected to get stronger heading into the spring.
Regardless though, connections are no doubt hoping wet tracks featuring prominently throughout Victoria at present hang around for as long as possible.
Outside of his latest success in the P.B Lawrence Stakes, Second Effort’s best prior figures aren’t strong enough to see him match it with the spring stars who will begin to hit their straps over the coming weeks.
Looking at Second Effort’s near faultless record on Slow/Heavy tracks though, continued wet weather may keep the Mossman six-year-old in touch with them.
From nine starts on rain affected going, Second Effort has won eight of those outings.
