Stay Wealthy wins Laverton Cup but immediate future uncertain

Just days after Stay Wealthy won last Sunday’s $30,000 Bright Star Resources Laverton Cup (1600m), trainer Rickie Brown has a big decision on his hands.

With Alex Hearn aboard, Stay Wealthy ($9.50) ran on gamely to score from Ima Wild Girl ($6) and Seduce Me ($2.30 favourite).

It was just the gelding’s third run for Brown who acquired him from Albany trainer Steve Wolfe.

“He won first-up at Leonora for us (on October 12) and then got knocked over in Leinster when we thought he was pretty unlucky so we were always confident going in (to the Laverton Cup),” Brown said.

“Steve brought up a few horses for the Round but his first run for him wasn’t overly impressive and he didn’t want to take him home.

“He asked me if I was interested in buying him and because of only a few runs, I figured he’d be suited to the northern Goldfields circuit.

“The problem now is that we’ve run out of races for him so we might have to put him (for sale) online (because) there’s really nothing for him for another six months.

“As a yearling, he was purchased for $1.1 million and that’s why they call him Stay Wealthy.”

On the prospect of on-selling the gelding, Brown said: “The Kalgoorlie season finishes this weekend and maybe we put him out because there’s no other suitable races to take him to.

“We’d have to put him in a paddock for six months but it’s not really viable because he’s getting up there in age.

“It’s not really worthwhile bringing him back and he’s already come from the south coast, but I think won one race for him (Wolfe).

“I think the dirt tracks are more his niche — he seems a lot happier sitting on the dirt tracks than the grass.”

Brown, 69, has been training horses for nearly 50 years and a long line of major wins includes Black Tycoon in the 2014 Perth Cup (2400m).

The Charlotte Skerritt-trained Soldiers Camp, winner of the Leonora Cup-Leinster Cup double this year, was scratched from the Laverton Cup field.

Also on Sunday, Muchea trainer Peter Bamford and Geraldton counterpart Kylie Craig each had two winners.

Bamford was successful with Psychic Session ($5.50) and Smokey Mountain ($2 favourite), as was Craig with Whole Lotta Tasha ($6.50) and Romero ($3.30).

The six-event card started with the Catherine Godden-trained Roey Clam ($3) successful over 1400m.