Lyuba a $2,000 purchase has now won over $200k
Attending one of the second-tier yearling sales has proven beneficial for trainer Darren Weir and his friends.
Lyuba, winner of Saturday’s Lanec Services Handicap at Flemington, recorded her fifth win from seven starts and took her prize money past $200,000.
All from a $2000 yearling purchase at the 2014 Melbourne Autumn Yearling Sale.
Ridden by apprentice Ben Allen, Lyuba was sent out the $4.40 favourite before scoring a short-neck win from Magna Rossa ($11) with Very Choosy ($7.50) a short-head away third.
Weir took the gamble on the daughter of Turffontein after liking the look of the filly.
He explained noted bloodstock agent John Foote buys the majority of his horses while Weir himself gambles on ones priced between $5000 and $20,000.
“If they’re no good I’ll get rid of them but if they’re alright I’ll put my mates into them,” Weir said.
A few of Weir’s close friends have been the beneficiary of his cheap buys with some of the owners of Speedeor, one of the leading hopes in the next month’s Magic Millions 3YO Guineas on the Gold Coast, in the ownership of Lyuba.
“When they’re cheap and they’re nice horses you can put your mates into them because they’re affordable and you’re a chance of getting it back,” Weir said.
“They all love their racing but they’ve never had a lot of money so it’s good for them to get into these sort of horses.”
Weir said Lyuba wasn’t a big robust type of yearling but he could see she was going to grow into something.
“She was an athletic type of horse,” Weir said.
“She was hard work early but she’s come good.”
