Emerging local trainer Jordan Formosa has his sights set on the biggest win of his training career in Friday night’s Bendigo Roses final (425m). But he’s under no illusion as to the task facing his young talent, Lembor.
Lembor chased home fastest qualifier Aston Flame in last Sunday’s heats, beaten eight lengths, and Formosa, 27, who trains a small team at Heathcote, acknowledges she’ll have her work cut out turning the tables to claim the $15,000 winner’s purse.
“She deserves to be in a good race like this because she always gives it everything she’s got, but it’s a really good field and she’ll need everything to go her way,” Formosa said.
“We’ll probably need to be in front of Aston Flame and need her to get in some trouble too.
“Going into the heats, I did think Lembor would make the final. I thought she would lead but Aston Flame was too quick.
“She got turned a couple of times in the home straight, so she did well to run second. It was the quickest heat too.”
A daughter of Cosmic Rumble and Shabeky, Lembor has won eight of her 37 starts and is a younger full sister to multiple Group finalist and 2018 G3 Sandown Shootout runner-up Maurice Minor.
Lembor has drawn box three for the final (Race 6, 8.47pm), with her key rivals including Jazz Opera (Box 1), warm favourite Aston Flame (Box 7), which has won six from eight for another home track trainer in Ian Garland, and Diamond Ability (Box 8).
“If she can push up and hold the fence, she’ll give herself a chance,” Formosa said.
“I don’t mind the speed being drawn out wide in ‘seven’ (Aston Flame) and ‘eight’ (Diamond Ability). They might cause each other some trouble out there.”
Formosa took up training at just 21 and rates Lembor, which only turned two in April, as good as he’s trained so far.
“I’ve kept learning and improving and I’m starting to get some better dogs,” he said.
“I got lucky with Lembor. The couple that own her contacted me when she was about one-year-old. I broke her in and pre-trained her, so I’ve had her all the way through since then and she was a natural right from the start.
“Given her age – she’s still only young – I would say she’s the best I’ve had so far.
“I think she’ll eventually end up getting 500m at The Meadows. Early on it looked like she’d only be a short-courser, but she’s getting stronger as she gets older.”
