Steve White is hoping classy youngster Paua To Avoid can achieve something his former champion Paua To Burn (pictured after 2005 Group One Sapphire Crown victory) wasn’t able to do in Friday night’s Group 3 Ram Locksmith Cranbourne Classic Final.
The immortal Paua To Burn contested the 2004 Cranbourne Classic but could only finish sixth to Knockabout Cher.
Steve White is looking to celebrate his first Group victory since relocating from NSW to Victoria last October in the Classic, while Paua To Avoid, a granddaughter of Paua To Burn, will be chasing her second feature victory, having dead-heated in the Group 2 Vince Curry Memorial Maiden at Ipswich in February.
“After the Vince Curry I just don’t know if Paua To Avoid acclimatised to the weather in Victoria after the nice warm Brisbane summer,” White explained.
“I couldn’t get her coat right, she just wasn’t right, so I decided to give her a bit of a break and since coming back she’s had four starts for three wins and she was very unlucky at The Meadows in her other run. She’s kept getting better as the weather has warmed up.”
Paua To Avoid made a winning Cranbourne debut in her Classic heat, clocking a smart 30.04sec to claim her sixth win from 14 starts, with Demon Bale’s 29.99sec the fastest qualifying performance.
WATCH: Paua To Avoid jump from box two in the heats of the Cranbourne Classic.
Paua To Avoid has drawn box seven for Friday’s $25,000 to-the-winner Classic and victory will provide an almost instant return for her new owners Bob and Michelle Palmer who purchased her prior to her heat victory.
“I’d really like to win the race after Paua To Burn missed out,” White said.
“Cranbourne was one of the few tracks Paua To Burn didn’t seem to handle but in all Paua To Avoid’s trials there she’s handled really well and I was very happy with her heat run.
“Box seven is a bit of a worry. The six (Kirk Bale) walks out but Demon Bale in box eight is a dead set railer so that might be a bit of a hiccup. She’s just got to ping. It’s as simple as that. Like any Group race, if you don’t begin you’re not going to win.
“Since moving to Victoria I’ve had a few runners in Group races – I had two runners in the Cranbourne Cup earlier in the year – but they haven’t been good enough on the night.”
While White’s focus is firmly on Cranbourne, on Saturday night he’ll be cheering for NSW representative Cardiology in the National Distance Championship at Angle Park with owner/trainer Kayla Coleman having regular handled Paua To Burn throughout her wonderful career.
