LEE Van Den Bos and her husband Alex know there’s a fair element of luck and uncertainty involved in racing horses.
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But there’s one assurance they’ve vowed to make: you’ve got to be in it to win it.
Van Den Bos will on Saturday send her promising four-year-old, Beau Hoffa, to run at Rosehill, with the gelding coming off the back of a third at Cowra and a second at Wellington – a far cry from the plush, long straight at home of the Australian Turf Club.
“As my husband always says, at least we have a ticket in the lottery,” Van Den Bos said.
“We won’t win anything without one.”
Beau Hoffa was edged by a nose at Wellington two weeks ago, and was a length back from Garry Lunn’s Strathaird at Cowra on October 18.
He carried 56.5 kilograms at Cowra and 58kgs at Wellington, and at Rosehill on Saturday he’ll bare 54kgs for the $60,0000 TAB Highway Handicap (1300m), leading Van Den Bos to feel pretty confident ahead of the race, set to jump at 2pm.
“He’s always been the top weight in his recent races and this time he’s down the bottom,” she said ahead of the $33,300-to-the-winner race.
“He’s drawn a good barrier and the track would have to be better than anything he’s run on here.”
Ahead of Melbourne Cup day at Towac Park, a day Van Den Bos has Mystery Lady nominated to run in, the Orange-based trainer said the lure of a hefty purse was another factor behind the trip to the ATC.
We think he’s a big chance of a place and, if all goes well, a win.
- Orange trainer Lee Van Den Bos
“At some point in time you have to have a crack at it. It’s 11,000 here (to win a class 2) and 33,000 (for a win) down there,” she said.
Making the trip more special, jockey Lester Grace will wear the Van Den Bos family silks, which are red, white and blue with an orange sash.
The orange pays homage to the family’s dutch heritage.
Van Den Bos was confident Beau Hoffa would be there when the whips are cracking.
“He’s raced a lot of class twos here and all of the horses down there are country horses, so he won’t be out of his depth,”
“It’s a highway race, and I think some of the horses that nominated are now running in Dubbo (on Saturday) instead.
“We think he’s a big chance of a place and, if all goes well, a win.”
Beau Hoffa has drawn barrier two for race four on Saturday for the Australian Turf Club TAB meeting.