It was a brilliant 2020 Dane Ripper Stakes result for veteran Toowoomba trainer Barry Squair but an upset one for the punters at Eagle Farm in the last on Saturday with 40/1 shot Love You Lucy getting through late to win.
Jockey Glen Colless (pictured at Doomben) enjoyed a Group 2 win in the Dane Ripper Stakes aboard Love You Lucy. Photo: Daniel Costello.
Racing at Eagle Farm for just the second time after her win over 1300m at the track last December, the beautiful looking Love Conquers All four-year-old was at surprisingly long odds in the Group 2 $175,000 Dane Ripper Stakes (1400m).
Two back she won the Listed Silk Stocking (1200m) at the Gold Coast beating a number of the same rivals, and her run for ninth in the Listed Helen Coughlan Stakes (1350m) at Doomben last time out was forgivable.
Today her recent rider Mark Du Plessis was aboard rival Outback Barbie with Squair choosing to put aboard experienced hoop Glen Colless as the replacement.
“Mark Du Plessis was to ride her but Tony Gollan offered him the ride on Outback Barbie earlier on and he stayed on Gollan’s horse for this race,” Squair told the media post-win
“I wanted an experienced jockey on her and Glen Colless will do me for an experienced jockey. He’s been a great rider for a long period.”
Colless was instructed to take Love You Lucy to the outside, but went against the plan and had the consistent mare settled towards the inside.
“The big thing I told Glen was just to hold her back and not let her go too early. She just over raced slightly the last time out up on the speed and I wanted her to get back and run on,” Squair said.
One-time favourite and last start Dark Jewel Classic winner Irithea began well and kicked up to take the early lead, before the Tony Gollan-trained Shalwa forced her way to the front setting a solid tempo.
Shalwa led into the home straight but there were plenty of challengers over the final 400m as the likes of Baccarat Baby, Irithea, Jen Rules and the well-backed favourite Winter Bride all came with their runs.
But it was Love You Lucy who the gaps opened up for late, the mare grabbing the lead and snaring the feature race win in an upset over the Les Ross-trained River Racer with the Toby & Trent Edmonds-trained Winter Bride in third.
“The barrier blanket got caught in the gates as we were leaving and it pulled my shoe out of one of my irons, luckily I was going back anyway and it didn’t cost us but there was a bit of panic at the start,” Colless said.
“Barry wanted her to get to the outside but when I reached the top of the lane the whole field were headed out wide and I just stuck to the rail, I think it was a little chopped up wide given the way they’ve been winning today.
“I couldn’t believe it when I got the call from Barry to ride her, I saw what she did down the Gold Coast a couple of starts ago and fantastic to share this Group 2 with him.”
Squair will now look over the end-of-season racing program to see if there’s another suitable race for the on-the-improve Love You Lucy, who could also be sent for a well-deserved spell ahead of the spring.
“I really don’t know where to go with her next, the owners were over the moon when we won the Silk Stocking now she’s won a Group 2,” he said.
“She’s been up for a long time now maybe I’ll give her a break but if I see something I like we might go one more.
“She’s a lovely filly I always thought she would do well but she’s won her eight races so quickly it’s certainly surprised me.”
2020 Dane Ripper Stakes Results
| Colour | Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
1 | 11 | LOVE YOU LUCY | Barry Squair | Glen Colless | 14 | 57kg | $41 | ||
 |
2 | 7 | RIVER RACER | Les Ross | Taylor Marshall | 0.3L | 4 | 57kg | $26 | |
 |
3 | 1 | WINTER BRIDE | Toby & Trent Edmonds | Robbie Fradd | 0.4L | 10 | 57kg | $5F | |
 |
4 | 16 | JEN RULES | Peter & Paul Snowden | Dale Smith | 0.5L | 2 | 57kg | $15 | |
 |
5 | 15 | KRONE | Tony Gollan | Jim Byrne | 1.3L | 12 | 57kg | $14 | |
 |
6 | 3 | OUTBACK BARBIE | Tony Gollan | Mark Du Plessis | 1.5L | 3 | 57kg | $7 | |
 |
7 | 5 | BACCARAT BABY | David Vandyke | Micheal Hellyer | 1.6L | 9 | 57kg | $7 | |
 |
8 | 2 | IRITHEA | Bjorn Baker | Ryan Maloney | 1.7L | 1 | 57kg | $7 | |
 |
9 | 6 | FIESTA | Chris Waller | Michael Cahill | 2.1L | 5 | 57kg | $13 | |
 |
10 | 4 | TELEPLAY | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Ms Stephanie Thornton | 2.6L | 6 | 57kg | $31 | |
 |
11 | 10 | SHALWA (NZ) | Tony Gollan | Brad Stewart | 2.8L | 13 | 57kg | $15 | |
 |
12 | 12 | INTO THE ABYSS | John Thompson | James Orman | 4L | 11 | 57kg | $10 | |
 |
13 | 14 | ROMANI GIRL (NZ) | Chris Waller | Jake Bayliss | 4.1L | 8 | 57kg | $19 | |
 |
14 | 9 | READY TO PROPHET | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Ryan Wiggins | 4.3L | 7 | 57kg | $31 | |
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*Table Credit: Racing Australia.
