Lady luck on Cyclone’s side

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk

Punters got in behind Cyclone Lucky Linda late in the Majestic Horse Floats Handicap Trot (2200m) at Alexandra Park on Thursday, backing her into favouritism, and she duly delivered.

Off the front mark, the Peter and Vaughan Blanchard-trained mare had a number of quality opposition behind her, including Group One winner Temporale, who was giving the daughter of Father Patrick a 55m advantage.

Driver Zachary Butcher was positive off the front and set a solid tempo to make his rivals feel their handicap.

The South Auckland reinsman rated Cyclone Lucky Linda to perfection in the end, holding off a fast-finishing Aflyin Spur to win by a nose, with a further 2-3/4 lengths back to Temporale in third.

“She has been going pretty well. The other ones had to give her a bit of a start, so that helped,” Vaughan Blanchard said.

“I thought she ran a pretty good time with the conditions the way they were.”

The victory continued Cyclone Lucky Linda’s golden run of form, with the mare having now won four and placing in nine of her 15 starts.

Out of six-win mare Cyclone Vance, Cyclone Lucky Linda is a half-sister to multiple Group One winners Glenferrie Typhoon and Cyclone U Bolt, Group One performer Cyclone Lucky Seven, and Group Three winners Cyclone Jake and Cyclone Jeter.

Blanchard believes his mare is also capable of gaining black-type and he is looking towards some mares races over the coming months to achieve that.

“She is from a very good family, she is a nice type, so if they decide to keep her she will be a heck of a broodmate,” he said.

“There are a few mares races down south in late September/early October. That is something to look at and then she will have the mares races up here in the new year.

“Only being a four-year-old, she is still going to develop and I still want to protect her as much as I can until she is ready to go in the deep end.”