Lozell In Line For Third Group Race Title

24-year-old conditioner Sam Lozell has made an outstanding start to his training career. 

After just three-years of mentoring he is poised to add his third group race title to his impressive strike rate CV.

Shaynee will start race favourite in Friday's Group 1 $30,000 Wanganui Distance Final (755m) following her outstanding 44.68s heat win.

CLICK HERE FOR FIELDS AND FORM

She stalked the pacemaker prior to letting down strongly to annex her tenth career win.

Shaynee is likely to head towards the early pace from the seven-trap, although Lozell is wary about the tactics that the other dramatic heat winner Bronski Beat (trap-eight) may deploy.

"I would like to see Shaynee sit on Bronskie Beat's tail, then use her strength to bring it home strongly. She came through last week brilliantly," confirmed Lozell about last year's Wanganui Stayers (group 2) 755m winner.

Shaynee was bred by Arch Lawrence and he races the daughter of Dyna Vikkers and Little Teegan in partnership with Lozell.

The renowned breeder and trainer of stayers has qualified two finalists himself, including litter sister, the railing Little Teegs which is likely to relish drawing closer to the rail (three) after she kicked on stoutly for her heat from the eight-trap.

Lawrence produced the promising stayer Bailey's Nice for his stylish track debut heat second behind Shaynee. 

"Little Teegs will be a different dog if she finds the rail. Bailey's Nice came home nicely after getting an interrupted early passage.

“They are both spot on for Friday and I can't split them," advised Lawrence.

There was real drama at the finish of the heat that Sandown Cup winner Bronski Beat took out in 44.96s.

The Lisa Cole prepared stayer appeared to be cruising to an effortless heat win when he severely cramped within reach of the judge.

"Dramatic scenes here," commentator Mark Rosanowski called when Von Strass joined Bronski Beat when the pair hit the line. He certainly wasn't wrong!

Bronski Beat had virtually stopped to a walk and fell in to nail the heat win by the narrowest possible margin.

"He tied up shocking late – he struggles to run the 755m trip out strongly. He goes super-fast early and we're hoping he get build a big early lead and then hang on. He has suffered no ill effects from his heat run," confirmed Brendon Cole.

Illustrating the depth of this field is the presence of three Dave and Jean Fahey prepared stayers. Competitive races can be expected from Student Loan, Gem and Mr. Blackjack.

"Mr. Blackjack is ideally boxed in the one. Gem is likely to sit on the rail (from two) and then kick on solidly. 

"Student Loan is a hard dog to follow, although he tends to go much better second up on a track," advised Dave Fahey about the current NZ Stayers Cup title holder.

It will be an outstanding breeding result if any of the Lawrence bred stayers takes out this 755m event. 

Lawrence bred and trained Little Teegan (pictured) to victory in the 2014 edition of this group 1 event, while he did likewise with the dam of Bailey's Nice, whose mum Teemaria took out the 2016 running of the race.

Let's leave the last word to Sam Lozell.

"It would be brilliant if Shaynee can compete the double, double," as Little Teegan also tasted success in the 2013 and 2014 versions of the Wanganui Stayers finals.