Four-year-old gelding Ima Little Needy will continue his path towards next month’s Raider Stakes when he contests the seventh race in Launceston on Sunday night, a no more than two lifetime wins event over 2200m.
The Rachel Williams-trained pacer has won two of his eight starts, with his most recent win coming when first-up from close to six months away from the track, in Launceston two weeks ago.
On that occasion, he settled one-out and two-back and finished off best down the centre of the track to score by 2.3m.
“He’s a work in progress. He’s just a big, big baby. But I was absolutely rapt with how he went last start.
“He just lopes along. He just looks like he’s going half-pace all the time. But he actually did sprint really well the other week, so I think the penny might be dropping, and he is starting to work out what his racing is about,” said Williams.
The gelded son of Warrawee Needy has since had a trial at Carrick Park on 13 June, when defeated 4.5m after leading in a mile rate of 2:02.3s.
“They ran a good time. But he sort of waits for them a bit, and then once they get up to him, he gets going again.”
Ben Parker will take the reins for Sunday’s assignment, with driver Brodie Davis partnering Fancy Another, who is trained by his father, Steven.
“Ben and I go back quite a while. He’s driven my horses for many years, and he has helped me a lot with him, especially this time in.
“As long as he does everything right and gets out on the track safe, we won’t be far away,” said the trainer when asked about the pacer’s chances from barrier three.
Beyond Sunday, the Raider Stakes is a race the trainer is aiming the gelding for.
“He didn’t disgrace himself in the Globe Derby last year, and it will probably be the same horses again in the Raider Stakes, so that’s what we are aiming for anyway.”
Another horse also being aimed at the Raider Stakes is Okanui Beach, who returned from a spell with a brilliant but narrow win at Bendigo on Wednesday night, rating 1:53.6s after overcoming a wide second-row draw in the 1650m race.
He was bred by Mick Maxfield, who sold him as a yearling, and he trained in Victoria by Craig Turnbull and was driven by Turnbull’s daughter Abbey.
