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Heavily supported Barocha wins 4YO+ Maiden Plate.
Third generation Mornington trainer Clayton Douglas has landed a winner with his first runner with the heavily supported Barocha at Sale on Thursday.
Barocha was backed from a $6.00 opening price when markets were released on Tuesday into $1.75 by the time the gates were released for the $35,000, Ladbrokes 4YO+ Maiden Plate (1105m).
With an opening bet of $500 at the $6.00, Barocha accounted for 84% of the total TAB Fixed Odds win hold with the biggest bet an $8000 wager at $1.80 placed on Thursday, resulting in a $14,400 collect.
Other wagers of note included $5000, $4000, $2000 and $1000 at $1.90 placed on Wednesday with the money continuing on Thursday including $5000, $4500, $3000 and $2000 at $1.80 and $4200, $3000, $2800, $2000 and $1000 at $1.75.
"It is extremely rare for any non-metropolitan race on a Thursday to carry the amount of interest that has occurred for race two at Sale today, but the majority of punters are celebrating Clayton Douglas' first win as a trainer," TAB's Trent Langskaill said.
Barocha gave his supporters little cause for concern as the four-year-old gelding by Ilovethiscity out of the Legal Opinion mare Feesforus strolled to a soft five length victory under Jamie Kah.
Currently sidelined with a broken foot, Douglas holds a dual licence and is an accomplished jockey both on the flat and over jumps.
The colours Barocha carried of Royal Blue, Light Blue Hoops and White Cap were used by Douglas' grandfather Vic, who also trained with considerable success at Mornington as did Douglas' father Vic.
Douglas said training had been on the cards for sometime.
"It's good to get a nice horse to come out of Mornington and hopefully we can progress on from here," Douglas told racing.com.
"Jamie has done a really good job with this horse. He is not really an easy horse and she has really educated him well.
"There was a lot of hype over him but I knew he was pretty good and we did think he would do that."
Douglas said there were a few plans that had been hatched for Barocha prior to Thursday's debut, but added he wanted to see the horse come out and produce on race day.
"Now that he has won I will speak to the ownership group and work it out," Douglas said.
The connections earned a stake of $33,250 for the win assisted by a Vobis Gold bonus, along with any supporting wagers they might have taken.
In the following race a daughter of three-time Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva(GB) has broken through for her maiden win at Sale.
Sublime Diva, a $1.65, favourite recorded a two length win in the 2219m maiden.
The Colin Little-trained mare was having her sixth race start on Thursday and became the sixth horse from Makybe Diva to be successful. Little said Sublime Diva was a tough mare with the trainer adding he wished he had a stable full like her.
