Alotta Mojo will start as favourite for Devon Meadows trainer Wayne Vassallo in tonight’s Hawkins Media Laurels Classic at Sandown Park.By Paul Pickering
DEVON Meadows mentor Wayne Vassallo is expected to claim his second Laurels victory in three years at Sandown Park tonight (Thursday).
Vassallo’s exciting two-year-old bitch Alotta Mojo blitzed her way through the qualifying races and will start a $2.40 favourite to win the $72,500 Group 1 Hawkins Media Laurels Classic.
And while he is uncomfortable with comparisons between Alotta Mojo and his 2006 winner Pure Burst, Vassallo concedes his newest darling has something special about her.
“It’s hard to compare them, because when Pure Burst won the race she was four months younger and she went on to win two more Group Ones,” he said.
“But (Alotta Mojo) is definitely getting there.”
Alotta Mojo, the product of a Hullucinate-Mint Mojo union, stormed into favouritism for tonight’s race after recording the fastest semi-final win last Thursday night.
On a slow track, she began quickly from box five and was never threatened, leading all the way to win in 30.17 seconds.
Three lengths back was inexperienced bitch Special Sign, trained by Junction Village coursing specialist Russell McRae.
Meanwhile, Hybrid Theory gave young trainer Chris Darmanin his first Group 1 finalist when she railed through the first turn to win her semi-final in 30.24 seconds.
She will start second favourite at $3.30.
Bunyip trainer Paul Anderton’s exciting bitch Hot Puzzle led all the way to win her heat in 30.23 seconds.
In the final semi of the night, New South Wales raider Irreplaceable ran down early leader Miss Jim to win by 2.5 lengths in 30.33 seconds.
Pre-post favourite and fastest heat-winner Ferly Gain missed the start and was never a winning chance, finishing a distant seventh.
Despite the strong field of finalists, Vassallo’s chances of repeating his 2006 triumph strengthened when Alotta Mojo drew the coveted inside box.
Having won Australia’s premier age-restricted bitches race before, Vassallo is more relaxed this time around.
“Because I’ve done it before, I probably don’t have the nerves as much. My bitch is in good form, she’s won three in a row and she’s pretty confident,” he said.
Vassallo will also have two entrants in the second feature race of the night, the $36,000 Group 2 McKenna Memorial.
While he expects Prince Noir and Ima Drifter to start as the outsiders, Vassallo says the pair will be a good bet at generous odds.
Robert Britton trained both heat winners of the McKenna, with Gunnadoo Magic and Kulu Spirit earning the right to challenge Tasmanian star Fallen Zorro in the final.
The Group 2 McKenna Memorial final will be run at 8.52pm tonight, with the Group 1 Hawkins Media Laurels Classic to follow at 9.40pm.
