Lucky Robbie Laing isn’t superstitious, or the jarring new Tom Selleck impersonation could be maintained as the Cranbourne horseman eyes the $1m season prizemoney mark.
After missing out on a $51 winner by a nose last Saturday, the guys return to have another crack at the Group 1s in Queensland. Plus of course, we have the Self-trumpeters, Yays or Neighs, and all the best bets and Betfair Back or Lays for Saturday.
Laing has banked 14 winners and $969,560 prizemoney for owners this season, including Sambucus, a contender for Sunday’s Listed Sandown Cup (3200m), from 118 starters.
Laing regularly earned about $2m for connections before a well-documented bankruptcy forced the five-time Group 1-winner into the racing exile in late 2019 for 12 months.
The Victoria Derby and Australian Cup-winner battled to make an impression back in training ranks, with four winners and about $250,000 prizemoney from 69 starters in the 2021-22 and 22-23 campaigns.
The emergence of El Soleado this season, four wins, seven places and $384,350 from his past 12 starts, and exported three-year-old Hey Fat Cat (two wins, $112,225) has led the Laing revival.
Trainers receive 10 per cent of all prizemoney earned.
* ‘Only myself, my wife had the code … neither of us made the call’: Lunn’s scratching mystery
Castellar, a two-year-old set to debut at Caulfield on Saturday, could be “a replacement for Hey Fat Cat”, while Sambucus is expected to run well on Sunday.
Sambucus, placed third in the Listed VRC St Leger three starts back before a forgive run at Flemington, saluted in style last Monday in a 3080m Benchmark 70 at Mornington.
Sambucus’s 2½-length win, over inferior opposition compared to Sunday’s assignment, was not the only conspicuous sight at Mornington as Laing sported a Selleck-type stash.
“I’m not at all (superstitious), I’d walk under any ladder,” Laing laughed.
“50/50 (to keep it), it looks pretty shit. I thought it looked good in the mirror but when I saw photos of it I thought ‘oh shit’.”
* ‘Rich are getting richer’: What about small-time horse owners?
Robbie Laing has been rocking a new look. Picture: Racing.com
Sambucus opened $51 outsider with TAB for the Sandown Cup, with Let’sbefrankbaby is a strong $2.80 favourite from Amade ($4.40), Strawberry Rock ($6) and Ferago ($8).
“He’ll run well, if Amade jumps out of the barriers and has a cushy run he’ll probably win it,” Laing said.
“His (Amade) runs in the Geelong Cup and Adelaide Cup were sensational but he’s a 10-year-old and my bloke is rising four, so hopefully that gives him a chance.
“We might look back on it and go ‘how come we were so negative about the Sandown Cup now he’s won this, that and the other’, he’s really in a rich vein of form.”
* Brad Waters’ Caulfield Early Oil: $34 blowout on the cards
Sambucus went to Mornington with only one win, a 1968m maiden last year, from 18 starts as Laing persisted with racing the son of Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente over shorter trips.
Sambucus has not missed a place in three starts beyond 2400m.
Meanwhile, Castellar is an $11 chance in the Two-Year-Old Handicap (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
The Astern colt looked good winning a preparatory 650m Cranbourne jumpout last Monday.