 It’s obvious that Strathalbyn
trainer Brian Mueller (pictured right) has a soft spot for his talented mare Risky Lass.
In a remarkable recovery from severe tendon injuries Risky Lass has weighed in at each of
her three comeback starts and on each occasion has been greeted by a beaming Mueller upon
her return to scale."I’ve never had a
horse with such serious injuries return to racing with such zest," he said.
Mueller could not conceal his admiration when Risky Lass
scored at her latest outing, a 1522m mare’s event at Morphettville a fortnight ago
Saturday. Staging a last to first victory, the win was made all the more impressive by the
fact that Risky Lass carried top weight of 58 kg and jumped from the extreme outside
barrier.
That win, along with her second-up victory at Cheltenham,
earned the mare a start in the Listed 1450 metre Vanellus Stakes (JD Lee Stakes) and the
chance to gain some much-coveted black type.
A winner at the course (Cheltenham) and distance Risky Lass
has been allotted 52.5 kilograms for the task, a whopping 5 ½ kilo drop on her
Morphettville win. Mueller has every confidence that the mare will, by her very nature, be
competitive in the event.
Hot pot Ikaros, unbeaten in three starts this time in, is
also amongst the acceptors for the Vanellus. Trained at Morphettville by Bill
Papazaharoudakis, (colloquially known as ‘Billy Alphabet’) the son of Mr.
Greeley faces his stiffest test to date. Although a winner at Cheltenham Ikaros has not
won beyond 1313 metres and rises a kilo on his last start to 55 kilograms. |
