Havasay will skip restricted class to run in open company
The in-form Havasay will buck the current trend in Brisbane and skip restricted class to run in open company at Doomben.
It is rare for restricted class horses to run in Brisbane open company races let alone start a short-priced favourite as will be the case with Havasay in Saturday’s 1200m-open handicap.
Havasay has always shown ability, running good races in some top quality events as a younger horse.
But his career has been dogged by bad barriers and even worse luck until recently when he was able to string together three wins on the trot.
Although the five-year-old is still eligible for a Class 5 race, trainer Liam Birchley has had no hesitation stepping him up in grade
His three recent wins have been at Grafton and Doomben where he has shown a liking for the tight track.
Havasay has clocked 1:08.9s, 1:09.28s and 1:09.26 at his past three wins over 1200m in restricted races.
Birchley said Havasay’s winning times and the small field on Saturday had swayed him to run in an open race.
“Not many open company winners in Brisbane can get around the times he is running,” Birchley said.
“He would have got a big weight in a restricted class race and here he is on the minimum of 54kg.
“I have always had a big opinion of him but he has not had much luck. The more he has matured the better he has got.”
Birchley hopes to aim Havasay at the Magic Millions Sprint in January.
“He will have to win some more prize money to make the field and he might as well start now,” he said.
“The only only problem could be the small field which sometimes can produce upset results but I feel he will race very well.”
In-form apprentice Matt McGillivray will ride Havasay and reduce his weight to 52.5kg.
