3 minute read
The Keith Dryden yard delivered with three winners at the meeting; two at long odds. The barn has now had 21 winners at Canberra this racing season at a strike rate of 22%.
Interestingly the Sydney Snowden training holds down second in the ACT Trainer Premiership with 12 winners at a strike rate of 43% — and they are a stable never to be risked whenever it brings horses to the capital.
Canberra Race 1 (2000m) CL1
Echo Lad was backed into even-money favourite. Casino Time was also a firmer starting 3.70 and the only other runner given a chance was Outahand $3.60, a slight drifter.
ECHO LAD led as expected and it was a solid tempo. He was being urged along before turning and was soon claimed by CASINO TIME who was given a lovely run midfield on the rail. He was always travelling like a winner and was presented in the middle of the track on turning. STREET CRED $15 settled at the back on the rail and looked a chance at the 200m after weaving a way through. The former comfortably held a 1L advantage to the line with the rest well beaten. Casino Time was on a quick back-up and showed he could run the middle distance right out and will be right at peak at his next start. Connections would have been pleased with Street Cred's finishing effort given he was jumping considerably in trip. He has only recorded one win in 19 starts, but can build on that soon, especially if he gets a firm track. OPPOSITE ran on okay into third at long odds and OUTAHAND battled away into 4th looking to have every chance. As we said in the preview, it was D-Day for Echo Lad and he was very plain. Post-race the gelding was found to be lame in its near-foreleg.
Race 2 (1200m) Maiden
Emthree raced a $3.0 favourite from Fight For Love $3.10 and Premier Rose $4.80 on the next lines and it was $9.0 the field the rest.
Debutant DREAM RUNNER $48.0 was the first of two long-priced winners for the in-form Keith Dryden yard. Dream Runner sat midfield three-wide and on turning presented in the middle of the track, 4L from the joint leader MYZABOOM $11 who had held the rail. The Dream Runner was still very new, but lengthened beautiful to come away by two and a half lengths from Emthree, who has been back in running and finished the race off strongly despite running about. Myzaboom stuck on well for 3rd and PREMIER ROSE battled on into 4th beaten 4.87L. Dream Runner had been given a very soft Canberra trial and had drifted out from $26. He still has plenty to learn, but is sure to win better races than this. Emthree was also terrific first-up and is also worth sticking with. FIGHT FOR LOVE $3.10 was expected to fight out the finish, but was tailed off last. The mare overraced and the rider reported the bit had been pulled through the horse's mouth. She will keep. A warning was placed on SIDE CUT who was a late withdrawal because of his pre-race behaviour.
Race 3 (1400m) Maiden
LE GAI SOLEIL $1.4 was backed to the exclusion of all others resuming off a Gosford placing. Tavistock filly is bred to get further but the 1400 proved a perfect starting point for the O'Shea-trained galloper. CHIEF GERONIMO $6.0 was a firm second-favourite and made the quinella.
Le Gai Soleil worked into a nice spot just behind the leading pair with Chief Geronimo railing on her inside. She looked to be cruising at the 350m but the Chief came up the rail and may have briefly hit the front at the 100m with the favourite prevailing by a lip on the line. The eye-catcher was SHADDY $31.0 at a big price. The Richard Litt-trained 2yo colt was back and three-wide all the way and sprouted wings down the middle of the track to be beaten by a half length in third. The colt was only having his second race start and is definitely one for the black-book. Another run — besides the above three — that couldn't be missed was that of CHEEKY MONKEY $8.5, who did plenty of work from the wide gate to cross over to the pace and raced hot. He passed the 600m in a clear second more settled and was just in front at the 200m when Le Gai Soleil loomed outside him, with Chief Geronimo on his inner. It was a huge effort beaten just 1.8L in fourth.
Race 4 TAB Federal (2000m) BM70
The market gave a chance to five runners with She's A Treasure running a $3.20 favourite.
The Dryden yard racked up its second winner with EXPRESS COURIER $6.0 saluting under Blaike McDougal. SHE'S A TREASURE led early, but ROSEBANK recovered from a slow start to assume control racing very keenly. She's A Treasure then began to pull and was retrained outside Rosebank on a slow tempo. Express Courier and LARMOUR $4.20 had lovely runs behind the pair. HILLTOP HOOD $6.0 made a forward move at the 600m. She's A Treasure was a clear leader on turning but was soon under pressure and Express Courier and Hilltop Hood came away with the former winning a whisker on the line. Larmour just battled 2.8L away in third looking to have every chance and CONFIDENTIAL $71 caught the eye running home well on the inside into fourth – an effort worth noting. Rosebank was no hope running out the 2000m racing too hot. Strong efforts the first two, with Hilltop Hood the medium of strong backing.
Race 5 (1400m) BM60
Successful Day was backed in from $4.80 to $3.10 to race favourite. Away She Goes was an easing $3.50 and there was also money for Who's Shout and No Emotion.
There was four horses on-speed before the 1000m with SUCCESSFUL DAY emerging to be a clear leader at the 600m and on turning. She worked to the middle of the track and impressed winning comfortably by nearly three lengths. WHO'S SHOUT $5.0 and DUTCHESS OF WINDSOR $13.0 fought out the minors, with AWAY SHE GOES not far away in fourth. The market suggested Who's Shout would improve sharply off the plain first-up run in a heavy at Wagga and he didn't help himself by hanging out in the straight. Away She Goes was back on the rail and was forced to take inside runs in the straight in tougher ground. Keep her onside. The winner was simply too good.
Race 6 (1000m) BM65
It was a competitive betting race with not much between Polar Star, Dizzy Miss Lizzy Calescent and Nevada Star all in the market.
The Keith Dryden yard produced his second upset on the day with the enigmatic PRINCE JACKO $16.0 winning off a 5 week freshen with the 4kg apprentice aboard. He was specked in the betting but most punters thought he would need it coming off disappointing runs. It was busy early with the well-backed POLAR STAR $4.20 emerging the leader, with Prince Jacko railing on his inside. Prince Jacko cornered like a greyhound and was a clear lead in a blink of the eye and under hands and heals held a half length margin to the line from the fast finishing DIZZY MISS LIZZY $5.50 and REVOLVER $7.0. Polar Star looked right in it but ran around in the straight cruelling her winning chances. The well-supported CALESCENT $4.80 raced wide throughout and wasn't disgraced running on from the back beaten 2.7L. The apprentice would have been well-pleased with her ride on the winner.
Race 7 (1200m) CL1
Glorious Dream $3.20 ran a solid favourite with Nuremburg Castle $3.70 and Rocketing To Win $5.50 next best supported.
There was an even bigger upset in the final race, with INTERCONTINENTAL $26 returning to his best with the 2kg apprentice riding. Intercontinental set up a big lead and was clear on the turn. NUREMBERG CASTLE loomed alongside him passing the 200m and supporters would have been counting their cash. But the 3yo was all done at the 100m and ROCKETING TO WIN finished stoutly along the rail to beat him out of second. It was a tough effort by the winner and a well-rated ride from Hennessy. Rocketing To Win's rider fired a protest against Intercontinental claiming interference passing the final 150m when the winner commenced to shift out. The stewards couldn't be satisfied that it cost Rocketing To Win the race. GLORIOUS DREAM finished it off okay in fourth when inclined to lay in down the stretch. KIMMYLEE – a drifting $7.50 was slow to begin.
