It is close to 40 years since a two-year-old has won the Group One Lightning Stakes and more than two decades since one has even tried.
But trainer Robbie Laing is happy to give Maribyrnong Plate winner Boomwaa his chance in Saturday’s 1000m sprint with 46kg on his back under the weight-for-age conditions.
And Boomwaa could be joined by fellow two-year-old Bugatty who is also set to be an acceptor on Wednesday but a final decision on a start for the Hawkes Racing trained colt will be made later in the week.
“He is only ever going to be able to run in a Lightning with 46 (kilos) once,” Laing said of Boomwaa.
“His early speed in his races has improved so much that he’s very hard to hold off the lead over 1200 metres. He’s had the two runs up the straight for one easy win at Group level, so we thought we’d have a throw at the stumps and see how we go.”
The prospect of having a couple of juveniles taking on the older sprinters adds intrigue to this year’s Black Caviar Lightning Stakes, a race which has been won in the past three years by retired champion Black Caviar who the race is now named after.
“They will keep the older horses busy with their featherweight,” Laing said of the two-year-old entrants.
Clever Zoe is the last two-year-old to have contested the Lightning in 1993, finishing second to star sprinter Schillaci.
The last juvenile to win the Lightning was Desirable in 1976.
Boomwaa hasn’t started since being run down by Peggy Jean in the Inglis Classic (1200m) in Sydney on January 14.
Laing said the gelding turned in a pleasing gallop on Tuesday.
“I let him run along with one this morning that could run a bit and he sat back off it and ran away at the finish and broke 22 (seconds for the last 400m). It was really good work,” he said.
Group One winners Samaready and Shamexpress are among the 14 nominations along with classy mare Snitzerland who is chasing a breakthrough Group One.
