TRAINER Ashley Maley of Gingin is hopeful Bad Wolf gets a better run in the Ted Van Heemst Stakes (2100m) at Ascot today than in his start two weeks ago.
After the Group 1 Northerly Stakes (1800m) on December 3 the eight-year-old gelding returned with multiple lacerations and abrasions to his near-hind leg.
Maley said when Notorious One went to the lead all the runners stacked up and Bad Wolf got stuck behind him.
“(But Bad Wolf’s) runs over a trip have been very good – from the barrier today he should be able to make his own luck and we just hope Notorious One doesn’t go around to the front and stack them all up,’’ he said.
“I’m pretty sure the trainer won’t do that again – it caused a lot of interference.
“When Notorious One went around the front it didn’t want to be there and it put the brakes on.
“So it made it really hard for anything that was following and because it’s racing manners sometimes aren’t really all that good and it drifts off the track quite a bit on the corner so no-one was game to take an outside run off it because it’s notorious for running off but this time it stayed on the fence and stayed exactly where it was meant to.’’
Bad Wolf will jump from barrier one today with jockey Shaun McGruddy retaining the ride.
Before the Northerly, Maley said the 2023 Group 2 Perth Cup (2400m) on Sunday, January 1 would probably be Bad Wolf’s grand final.
Yesterday Maley said Bad Wolf’s run in the 2022 Perth Cup, where he finished ninth, gave him a lot more encouragement knowing the horse could do the distance and could run out the trip strongly.
He also thought Penny On The Queen would go well today.
“She’s drawn well so I think she will – last time she jumped pretty badly and she got way back last and was just never in the running.’’
