3 minute read

Bandersnatch has notched another black-type win in the Civic Stakes at Rosehill.

Michael Hawkes says identifying the right races at the right time of year has been the key to getting the best out of quirky gelding Bandersnatch. 

The four-year-old has posted his third victory, and second at black-type level, since joining the Hawkes team late last year, dictating terms to land the feature race on Saturday's winter program at Rosehill. 

Bandersnatch ($4.20 fav) kicked strongly forBrenton Avdulla to win the Listed Civic Stakes (1400m) by three-quarters of a length over Tricky Gal ($7), who chased hard, with True Detective ($7.50) another length back in third. 

Hawkes said Bandersnatch had been hard to fault since joining their stable and was likely to press on to the Listed Winter Stakes (1400m) at Randwick in two weeks. 

"He jumped out well, Brenton just took his time to get across and once he got to the front he just gave him a good breather," Hawkes said. 

"It had been a month between runs but we spaced him out that way. You're just trying to find the right race for this bloke. 

"There is another race in a couple of weeks' time we will probably aim him for now, so long as he pulls up good." 

Bandersnatch is part-owned by Chris Barrett, who works as a valet for several of Sydney's leading jockeys, including Avdulla. 

Avdulla reckons a stakes win should be enough to keep his account with Barrett in the black for a few months. 

"It's nice to get a stakes win for him and I won't be paying my valet bill for a few months," Avdulla said. 

"He's a bit quirky (Bandersnatch). Every time I've ridden him, you just let him flow. 

"Sometimes he can get aggressive in the bridle but today worked out really well. It looked like that on paper, pace-related, that he'd just get control, and he was able to find the rail and do things right and he was there to kick late. 

"He won like a nice horse." 

Bandersnatch brought up a treble for Avdulla who earlier won the Stayer's Cup on Sweet Thomas and a support race aboard Zing for Chris Waller.