3 minute read

Le Cadeau delivered a brilliant first-up effort to cause a minor boilover in Devonport on Sunday where the four-year-old powered home late to win the Leigh Jordan Agency Collins Real Estate Benchmark 76 over 1150m.

In Brief

• Handy sprinter shines first-up.
• Plenty more to come from Le Cadeau.
• Back to drawing board for Alpine Wolf.

His stablemate Alpine Wolf was backed in to start the $1.60 favourite while punters allowed Le Cadeau to drift to start the $4.20 equal second elect.

But it was evident at the top of the home straight that the favourite was struggling with Vivilici ($4.20) and Le Cadeau pouncing on the race leader Aspirate ($31) in the field of four.

Le Cadeau hadn't been sighted since the Royal Rambo (quality sprint) on Launceston Cup Day in February but his two trials leading up to Sunday's outing were good enough to suggest he was a serious winning chance.

Fledgling apprentice Lauryn Bingley rode a heady race by allowing Le Cadeau to move up outside the leader when the pace slackened mid-race and she waited until the home straight before asking him for the supreme effort.

Trainer Barry Campbell saddled up Alpine Wolf and Le Cadeau and he had mixed feelings when both horses returned to the unsaddling enclosure.

"I'm thrilled that Le Cadeau has come back in good form, and he is a very good horse with plenty more to give this preparation," Campbell said.

But he couldn't help but stay focused on the comments from Alpine Wolf's rider Daniel Ganderton.

"Everything seemed to be right, but when I asked for something, he didn't have that ping that he has always had, so there is definitely something not right with the horse," Ganderton said.

Campbell now goes back to the drawing board with Alpine Wolf with a pending interstate trip off the agenda.