Lopov Leaves Opposition In His Wake

 

Savabeel three-year-old Lopov will go for a well-earned break after thumping his staying rivals at Caulfield on Saturday. The WS-bred and sold gelding was given a gun ride by Glen Boss and was a class above his opposition at the end of the 2400 metre test.

“He’s a tough horse – I don’t think I’ve ever trained a tougher one,” Danny O’Brien said. “Glen was positive on him and and he showed a good turn at foot and that gives us a lot of options with him for next season. I’ll give him a freshen up and he might be back for the tail-end of the spring when there’s plenty of staying races around.”

Lopov has now won four of his 17 starts and had been luckless when placed at his two previous starts. “He loves the stable environment and he could really have won on three Saturday’s in a row,” O’Brien said. Boss took bad luck out of the equation today when he sent Lopov to the early lead before trailing and then easily put the winning break on the chasers early in the straight.

The gelding was bought by O’Brien from WS’s 2009 Karaka draft for $25,000 and is out of the Gr 2 performed mare Prickle, a daughter of Pins who won three races and is a sister to the well-performed Sydney stayer Legsman (Listed Winter Cup). Their dam Snobbish (Centaine) is a full-sister to the multiple Gr 1 winner Slight Chance.