Damien Lane will target next month’s Gosford Provincial Championship Qualifier with Leogang after his dominant win the LES TILLEY RACING STABLES CLASS 2 over 1000m.
Despite being slow to start, Blaike McDougall found the rails on the three-year-old Lonhro gelding, maintaining the lead until the straight where he drew away for a soft two and three-quarter length win.
Lane had considered he could head to the championships with Leogang and the dominance of his victory left him with no doubt.
“It’s in three weeks and that works out perfect,” he said. “I think he should be fine over the 1200m. !400m might be a different story but if he keeps improving who knows.
“He was a little bit tardy out today and he had to use him up but he didn’t over race and was happy to go at that speed.
“It was pretty soft in the end. He didn’t have to ask him to do a lot and he ran time.”
Lane said Leogang had been a bargain purchase and he’d like to be able to buy one like him every week.
“He’s very promising. He’s pretty well bred and a horse we wouldn’t of been able to afford to buy as a yearling. To be able to get something of his quality in the stable is good and he just keeps improving.”
McDougall said he felt if Leogang drew a barrier he would be hard to beat at Gosford.
“He’s a nice little horse this who does everything right. He’s ticking all the boxes. “
Leogang starting at $2.05 beat the Kristin Buchanan trained Invincible Gantsta ($4.40), with Tapavino ($15) from the Coyle stable, a long neck behind in third.
The stable capped off the day in great fashion with a quinella in the 1350m DAMIEN LANE RACING STABLES BM 70.
Another Larga ($16) ran down stablemate Cervinia ($21) in the final stages of the race, with favourite Global Rocket ($4.20) third.
Lane said he had been reasonably confident with the chances of both runners.
“I was happy with both of them. Another Larga went really well first up at Gosford this prep. He didn’t trial and it was too short for him but I thought his run was super.
“Cervinia went great first up and had no luck second up and pulled up a bit ordinary. She’s had a let up and come back great.
“10 out of 10 to both rides. Jean (Van Overmeire) and Blaike (McDougall) I thought they both went great and it’s a really good result for the stable.”
Lane said he could target a Saturday metropolitan race with Another Larga.
“He really came of age last prep. He won three races culminating in a 1900m midweek at Canterbury and I think he’ll probably run further than that too.
“This is the best start to a prep he’s had by far and I think he might even be an off-carnival Saturday winner in town.”
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A victory by Flying ($3) in the ALLAN KEHOE RACING STABLES Maiden over 1600m capped off a winning day for James Cummings, bagging a treble.
The win also brought up a double for Brenton Avdulla, who teamed with the Godolphin stable earlier on Laburnum.
Competitive riding by Avdulla secured the win by Flying, with the jockey squeezing through a narrow gap in the final stages of the race to win by a nose.
He beat the Stephen Schofield trained Lutreola ($14), with the Waterhouse trained Triplicate ($15) third.
Cummings was full of praise for Avdulla.
“Brenton is riding with a great amount of confidence and it’s nice that you have a good combination with a jockey who gets on these horses and gets the job done,” he said.
“The runs opened up for Brenton and he knew she had the grounding for the mile third up.”
Avdulla said Flying had put the writing on the board with her last start third at Kembla over 1300m.
“She ran well the other day and was strong to the line. I knew the step up to the mile would suit and James gave me plenty of confidence just to ride her for a last crack at them and we timed it just right.
“The luck paid off, just!”
Domesday filly Guipure ($3.10) recovered from a check to score an impressive win over 1350m, bringing up Godolphin’s double earlier in the program.
Jockey Corey Brown said the three-year-old had a “big future” after her victory in the TRACEY BARTLEY RACING STABLES 3YO Maiden.
“It was a better win that in looked,” Brown said.
“About 600m from home I got a bit of a squeeze and shoved up a bum in front of me but she managed to pick herself up.
“She’s a big robust filly. Horses that get knocked over like that generally don’t get up and get going again so she’s done a good job.”
Glyn Schofield had been aboard Eaglehawk, who tightened Guipure up, and the pair exchanged words after crossing the line.
James Cummings also believes Guipure is a promising prospect.
“Not often do they get stopped in their tracks before turning for home and regather themselves to win so nicely. She’s quite an interesting three-year-old filly.
“She has been a work in progress and we’ve really tried to rouse her up a bit in her trials. The penny is still dropping for her and I think getting her maiden out of the way now she could be climbing through the grades and hopefully get to a higher level.
“A bigger track will certainly suit her and she could be a filly that’s going somewhere. “
The stable’s first win came with debutant Laburnum who was impressive scoring a strong victory over the 1350m with Avdulla in the saddle.
Laburnum ($5) impressed trainer James Cummings with her win against her mainly experienced opposition in the 1350m ALLAN DENHAM RACING STABLES 2YO Maiden.
“She is a nice filly and she’s got a bit of scope about her,” Cummings said.
“We came here with a pretty open mind but she’s demonstrated she is certainly going places. To hold off opposition that have race experience bodes pretty well for her. She certainly did a great job today.
Cummings said Laburnum had trialled well at Rosehill but he had been keen to see her do it race day.
“She needs to keep bulking up and keep developing but she showed great strength today to hold off experienced horses on debut over 1350m was a fairly strong two-year-old effort.“
Avdulla described Laburnum as a “really nice filly.”
“I never felt she was going to get beat today. She did it really well.”
Greysful Glamour ($7) trained by Mark Newnham, was a neck second, with the Snowden trained Navigator ($7) a length behind in third.
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Patience proved to be the key for Cessnock trainer Greg Preston after Tavisky ($13) took out the 1100m KRISTEN BUCHANAN RACING STABLES PROV & CTRY Maiden, upsetting the short-priced favourite.
Courtesy of a gun ride by Jeff Penza, the four-year-old by Tavistock, held off the fast finishing $1.60 favourite Mighty Marmalade, trained by Kim Waugh, to win by a long neck.
Tavisky, owned by Preston, was second up following a six-month spell.
“She just needed time,” he said. “Her run at Cessnock when she resumed was pretty good and I was fairly confident today.
“Jeff rode her a treat and it worked out well.”
Preston said he would take his time with the mare and possibly even send her out for another let-up before she raced.
“I won’t be rushing. She might even have a few weeks off.”
Penza said Tavisky had raced “really genuine.”
“Last start first up sort of gassed her a bit and she got very awkward on the turn at Cesnock.
“Today we were going to take a sit but no-one really wanted to lead, so we ended up in front doing our own thing and she kicked really nice in the straight.”
The Stephen Schofield trained Denials ($8) finished half length behind the winner in third.
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Another short-priced favourite upset in the 1100m JEFF ENGLEBRECHT RACING STABLES Maiden with Inanup ($7.50) pulling off a length and a three-quarter victory over Oyster Bay ($1.40).
Trained at Warwick Farm by Jarrod Austin, the Bon Hoffa gelding brought up his debut win at just his second start.
An excited group of owners greeted jockey Blake Shinn when he returned to scale on the four-year-old.
“We came into the race knowing he had ability but he is very raw and very green,” Austin said.
“We knew we were up against a $1.40 hot pot so we were just going in to get a nice run but he was very good.”
Austin said they were encouraged when Godolphin galloper Kementari, who Inanup knocked off in a trial, came out and won last weekend.
“He came out and won so easily and that gave us a bit of hope going into the race.
“We will just take him along step but step. We know in six months time he will make a very nice horse and it was just good to see him do it today.”
Shinn described Inanup as an “imposing type” and said once he fills into his frame he will make a really nice race horse.
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A dead heat in the last, the 2100m KIM WAUGH RACING STABLES BM 65, capped off a great day of racing.
The Gwenda Markwell trained Chilli Beauty ($9.50) ridden by Corey Brown finishing strongly in the final stages to draw even with the Waterhouse/Bott trained favourite Follow On ($4.20), ridden by Tim Clark.
Markwell’s five-year-old Snippetson mare brought up her third successive win.
“She was ridden a treat today, “Kembla based Markwell said.
“She is in good form and I think you’ll see a better horse when you get her on a wet track.
“She’s honest and true.”
Markwell said Chilli Beauty’s owner, Doctor Shum, had travelled from Hong Kong for the race.
“At least he saw a win of sorts,” she said.
Neil Paine, representing the Waterhouse/Bott stable, said Follow On was an “honest horse” who could go on and win some nice races.
“He’s tough and improved a lot today on his last run.
“It is only his third run in a race and he went well.”
