Evans hopes for slower start for hard-finishing Prada

By Josh Spasaro

Goldstar Prada is such a good finisher that her trainer, Riley Evans, does not want to see her start too well in the Keith Sternberg Memorial Final at Q1 Lakeside on Saturday night.

The two-year-old bitch has excellent form, with three wins from her past five starts going into the $18,940 feature over 642 metres.

But, if there is one blemish for the stayer with 13 wins from 45 starts, it is that she can run too well too early.

“I don’t like to see her lead. She’s got an enormous tank late and an enormous run home late,” Evans said. 

“But, when she gets on the bunny she runs such good times that you can’t run that kind of time for an entire distance race.

“It’s going way too quick. So, I’m hoping we could have three or four ahead of us at the 350 metre boxes, which would be nice.

“And, then hopefully we’re running on strong late.”

This is why Evans will not mind Goldstar Prada jumping from box eight this week.

“I’m not too worried about the box draw with her. It doesn’t really matter,” he said.

“She usually falls out last, anyway. So, it’ll be about how much room she’ll get working through dogs down the back straight.

“If she can hit the right gaps and have three or four in front of her at the 350 metre boxes, I’ll be really happy with that. But, sometimes she can make it pretty hard on herself.”

The Federal Morgan and Goldstar Journey chaser has blitzed her opponents early in her past two starts.

She held a four-length lead over 710 metres at Q2 Parklands last Thursday, but she couldn’t quite hold on, finishing second in a time of 41.41 seconds.

The start before that, she shot out to an eight-length lead, before holding on to salute by two lengths in a time of 41.47 seconds.

And, here’s the other quirky part – three starts back, Goldstar Prada won The Clarence over 660 metres at Grafton after she was last at the first turn.

She flashed home in a time of 37.86 seconds, just outside Jeremiah Fire’s record of 37.77 seconds, which was set in last year’s edition of the race.

“She’s a real funny dog. The past two starts she’s lit up and once she was eight lengths in front of the back marker and only won by two lengths,” Evans said.

“She was pretty much the same here last Thursday and she ended up getting beaten.

“We went to Grafton. It was the start before those two and we came 10 lengths off them to run a length off the track record.”

Evans said Goldstar Prada has a unique and varied method of winning, admitting it can make the young trainer nervous looking on at times.

“Dogs just don’t really do that. She’s a bit of a hard watch, but it’s a lot easier when she’s coming from behind,” he said.

“I know how much speed she’s got late, but sometimes when she’s on the bunny it’s how much left she’s going to have in the tank.

“But, the eight-dog field should suit her. She shouldn’t hit the front early, which is what has undone her in her past two starts.”

Evans said Goldstar Prada’s litter brother, Goldstar Sandler, will need his sister’s early speed from box five on Saturday night.

“Sandler has probably got to lead or be in the first couple. He’s a really high-speed, on-the-bunny dog,” he said.

“He’s gone 25.04 seconds over 457 metres, which was airborne at the time. Only a handful had gone quicker.

“But, he needs to land on the speed. He’s drawn the five, which isn’t the best. But, if he can land on the speed and get away, then he can be in it a long way. He’s not a true stayer yet, but I think he will get there.

“They’re brother and sister, so he’s bred to run the distance.”

Evans said he was aiming Goldstar Prada and Goldstar Sandler for the $250,000 The 715 Final at The Gardens on May 1.

“But, I don’t underestimate how good the field is on Saturday night,” he said.

“It’s a super field. We just want to get through the run and go from there.”

Meanwhile, Ipswich-based conditioner Noel Evans echoed the thoughts that the Keith Sternberg Final will be a tough race to win.

He will have three-year-old bitch Dreamer starting from box four.

And, like Goldstar Prada, the Shima Shine and Queen Werina chaser also has some quirks to her racing style.

“I think she should be in the finish, but it’s a pretty strong field,” Noel Evans said.

“She just has a flat spot going into that bottom corner over the 550 metres. And, the one 642 metre start she had (on February 14), she led and then they all ran past her.

“She got back to second-last and then she finished second. I think she’ll be at Masters level in two weeks. She should be able to pick up a few Masters races even over 457 metres.”