3 minute read
Patrick Dargan celebrated his first winner as a trainer when his sole stable tenant Fighting Styx scored a game all-the-way win in an open 2YO handicap over 1100m in Hobart on Sunday.
In Brief
- Fighting Styx shows courage to notch first win.
- Dargan celebrates first winner as a trainer.
- Sires Produce is filly's main mission.
Fighting Styx ($3.10) was resuming from a short spell but managed to tough it out and stave off a determined challenge from the well-backed Geegeeluckystar ($2.20 into $1.80 fav) that was making her debut.
The winning margin was only a long neck, but it was significant given Dargan s filly was given no peace in the lead.
"That was probably the most excited I have ever been at the races and I am so proud of the filly," Dargan said.
"She had to dig deep when the favourite came at her early in the straight and she had a real dip over the last 100 metres.
"It was a great ride by Codi (Jordan) because she never got flustered and put the whip away and rode her out hands and heels to the line."
Dargan has held a trainer's licence for just under a year and the Fighting Sun-River Styx filly is the only horse he has in work.
"She was going well enough early in the season to earn some prizemoney, but I gave her December off and brought her back and she had strengthened up with that month on the lush grass before it dried up," Dargan said.
Fighting Styx resumed in Launceston three weeks earlier with a fifth of nine in a 2YO maiden over 1120m, but she didn't enjoy the cleanest of runs.
"She got a bit knocked about a bit at her first run back, so I gave her a few days off and she picked up again and got on with it.
"I almost didn't bring her down for the race because I had a maiden penciled in in Launceston, but I'm glad we made the trip."
Dargan plans to return to Hobart with the filly for another open 2YO handicap in three weeks and provided she emerges from that race in good order she will progress through to the Sires Produce in May.
