Breeding & Racing Magazine

Riverina Galloper Happy Lad Ready for Highway

Odd-Spot: Trained on the Jerilderie track by Phil Sweeney, Happy Lad (Epaulette-Montreal Gold, by Gold Brose) is a three-time Riverina winner being set for the TAB Highway Handicap over 1200m at Royal Randwick on Saturday, reports racingnsw.com. There is plenty of history around the Jerilderie track, being only a stone's throw from where the Kelly gang in 1879 audaciously locked local police in their own cells, masqueraded in their uniforms to bail up the bank and take hostages. The Ned Kelly gang even rode at many Riverina meetings, and Jerilderie was said to be a favourite location. Heading back to this week, Happy Lad is a last start winner who has yet to be tried on a heavy track, and is also nominated for Wagga Wagga on Sunday where he will have to lump 61kg. Happy Lad is a $42,000 Inglis Classic graduate who has won three of his eight starts to date. Perhaps history will be on his side on this weekend.