Warrnambool trainer Peter Lafferty has the chance to emulate
his late father Kevin in tomorrow's Group One $404,000 smoke-free Adelaide Cup (3200m) at
Morphettville.
Lafferty will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of his
father by winning South Australia's premier horse race.
Kevin Lafferty won the 1953 Adelaide Cup with Royal Pageant
which was ridden by former leading Adelaide jockey Bill Pyers.
On the forty ninth anniversary of the Lafferty family's
greatest thrill in thoroughbred racing they have sought out another of the state's leading
saddle dwellers to partner their charge.
Come five past three tomorrow afternoon Peter Lafferty will
saddle up half of his team in his quest to write his own name in the history books as the
trainer of an Adelaide Cup winner.
Lafferty has two horses in work at his property at
Warrnambool in Victoria, and the pride of the stable Condies Fair will be gunning for
Group One glory tomorrow.
The country trainer said today he was hoping his
five-year-old gelding could follow up his strong second in the Warrnambool Cup by racing
well in Adelaide, a place which holds a special place in the heart of the family.
"South Australia has always been a kind place to us in
the past," Lafferty said. "The Cup photo still takes pride of place back at
home."
Lafferty also has a strong link with both the connections of
Condies Fair and the gelding's pedigree.
"Condies Fair is out of amre called Miss Morrison who I
trained to win in the past," Lafferty said.
If the gelding could happen to cause an upset in winning the
Cup it would also be a major thrill to one of Condies Fairs' veteran owners.
"One of the owners, Bob Molesworth, is 92 and he'll be
flying over tomorrow to cheer him on," Lafferty said.
Lafferty said his gelding isn't a fan of wet tracks
"although he has been a winner on a dead track at Warrnambool."
With many of the experts feeling the Russell Cameron trained
Majestic Avenue is going to be one of the better each way chances, Condies Fair must be a
chance of also running in the money.
At his most recent run in the Warrnambool Cup Condies Fair
didn't have the best luck before finishing second, beaten two and a half lengths by
Majestic Avenue.
Condies Fair has faced the starter on 34 starts for eight
wins and four minor placings with stakes earnings of nearly $140,000. Not bad for a horse
which his trainer labelled as being worth "about $500" due to his unfashionable
breeding. |
