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By Ray Hickson

A first or second placing in Saturday’s $500,000 Wyong Leagues Group The Lakes (1600m) will be enough for Super Helpful to pass the $1 million mark in prizemoney and co-trainer Barbara Joseph can’t believe he isn’t more fancied in the Wyong feature.

Trainer Barbara Joseph (Pic: Bradley Photos)

The six-year-old has been a bargain buy, just a $20,0000 purchase, and Joseph said as he prepares for his 40th race start there are plenty more wins ahead.

“He just keeps jumping the bar, he’s surprised us a lot and he’s up there with some of my best horses for sure,’’ Joseph said.

“He just does his work, he’s a very laid back horse and very sound.

“I think he should be well in the market and I think he’s got a bloody great chance or we wouldn’t be going there.

“He’s a very unassuming horse. For a $20,000 horse he’s not going too bad.”

Super Helpful, $15 with TAB on Friday, notched his 11th career win and took his earnings to $919,785 in the Nowra Cup last month and that victory earned eligibility for the $3 million Big Dance in November.

He was third in that race in 2023 and Joseph, who trains with sons Paul and Matt Jones, said that in itself proves he’s up to a race like The Lakes with Anna Roper taking the ride at 52kg.

If there was one concern it’s that Super Helpful was due to contest a 1600m race that was deleted at Randwick two weeks ago so he’ll go to Wyong with a month since his Nowra Cup win under 61.5kg.

“He’s had a jump out at home, and he’s been getting plenty of work so hopefully that will compensate,’’ she said.

“It was a very good win and a very good ride. Claire (Ramsbotham) rode him well and Anna has been riding very well and she rides Wyong very good.

“He likes the sting out of the ground and we’re hoping to be up in that second pair because there’s not much pace apart from that one of Gai’s (Redbreast).”

Joseph said she’d love to have Super Helpful contest the Bega Cup at the Sapphire Coast on February 2 but given his Nowra Cup weight was 64.5kg before the claim she fears he’ll be weighted out of that race.

Trainer Ciaron Maher has dual representation in The Lakes with Little Dance winner St Lawrence and Junipal making the trip to Wyong.

Junipal has been campaigning in Brisbane of late where he notched back-to-back wins in October and was a last start second in the Listed Members Mile three weeks ago.

“He’s been in great form up in Queensland. He does love a bit of give, he’s been running well on top of the ground and I’d say he’s half a chance,’’ Maher said on SEN.

Super Helpful wins the Nowra Cup

St Lawrence has been freshened up since he finished sixth behind Private Eye in the Group 3 Festival Stakes at the end of November and Maher said a soft or heavy track would hold no fears.

“He’s had a tickover trial to keep him up to the mark,’’ he said.

“He’s had a super prep as well. He has pretty good form and if the track does get to heavy he’s only had one start and he’s won on that.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Wyong meeting