Trainer Paul Beshara says smart galloper Happy Trails has been unlucky a few times but he'll be happy if the four-year-old can win the Golden Mile.
South Australian trainer Paul Beshara is using Saturday's Golden Mile at Bendigo as Happy Trails' stepping stone to a Sydney campaign ultimately aimed at the $2 million Doncaster Mile in April.
The Good Journey four-year-old has been thereabouts throughout his 19-start career which has yielded two wins and nine placings, four of them in Group and Listed races, for nearly $250,000 in stake earnings.
Beshara says he just needs a bit of luck.
"He's been a very unlucky horse running a lot of seconds and thirds and if he'd have won those races, which quite easily he could have, his stake money would be over a million dollars," the Morphettville trainer said.
The gelding resumed with a second to smart mare Golden Penny over 1200m on his home track on February 18.
He then missed the start before settling back 13th and working home strongly for third to Rockpecker in the Listed Shaftesbury Avenue Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on March 3.
Damien Oliver, who won on Happy Trails over 1600m at Caulfield last October, retains the mount after jumping back aboard him last start.
Beshara said Happy Trails could've settled a lot closer last start but definitely would on Saturday after drawing barrier two in the 16-horse field plus four emergencies, although the Team Hawkes-trained Dao Dao has been scratched.
"He actually missed the start by two lengths and came around the home turn 12 wide but he was really picking them up over the final 200 metres," the trainer said of his last-start effort.
"Damien was rapt with the run and recommended we run him in the Golden Mile.
"We're going in very hopeful. I thought his last effort was the run of the day.
"He's a good horse and I'd just like to win a good race with him."
After Saturday, Beshara will take Happy Trails to Sydney to get him ready for the Group Two Ajax Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on March 31 and a possible tilt at the Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick on April 21.
Oliver rode the gelding in his two Sydney runs last autumn when fourth to Needs Further in the Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) and runner-up to Shootoff in the Frank Packer Plate (2000m), both at Group Three level at Randwick.
Happy Trails is $5 equal favourite for the $125,000 Golden Mile with the honest Peter Moody-trained Testascana, winner of the Listed Heatherlie Hcp (1700m) at Caulfield last August.
The winner of nine of his 21 starts, Testascana ran fifth in the Shaftesbury Avenue and Michael Walker has retained the mount on the Testa Rossa five-year-old who has drawn well in barrier three.
Folding Gear, fourth when resuming in the Shaftesbury Avenue, is at $5.50 with topweight, the Group Three 2011 Victoria Handicap winner Red Colossus who was 11th in the Shaftesbury Avenue, next best at $10.
