By MIKE DILLON
If Lance O'Sullivan wins Saturday's $120,000 Jaguar Easter Handicap he will be a lifetime believer in third-time lucky.
O'Sullivan was originally booked to ride Soap Opera in the Easter, but the class mare had to be withdrawn because of the injuries she suffered being galloped on when winning at Tauranga 11 days ago.
He then switched to She's A Meanie, who will now not run after being sold to Singapore.
O'Sullivan will climb aboard last week's winner, Classic Babe, and counts himself lucky to still be on such a good winning chance after two bouts of misfortune.
"She's got to be a realistic winning chance - she's certainly not the worst chance," said O'Sullivan at yesterday's Te Aroha trials.
Trainer Paul Milich is disappointed to lose such a class mare as She's A Meanie, but accepts that the money was too big to turn down.
"I didn't want to be part of the decision-making process," he said yesterday.
"I told the owners to make up their own minds.
"She's already a group-one winner with her Avondale Cup victory and I felt there was another couple of big races left in her the way she has improved this season."
She's A Meanie will be trained by expatriate New Zealander Stephen Gray in Singapore. She is expected to be retired to a New South Wales stud operated by her new Asian purchaser.
O'Sullivan is not too disappointed that rain is forecast for the holiday weekend.
"Unbelievable, all my mounts drew wide, but if it's going to rain that might turn out to be an advantage."
Racing: Ride saga turns soap opera
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