OH MY PAPA might be headed north to Brisbane after her last stride win in yesterday’s $15,000 Freight Specialists New England Handicap (1600m) at Tamworth.
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The Greg Bennett-trained daughter of Dane Shadow drove through between Kurtley and Rod’s Bid to beat Tamworth-trained Kurtley by a short head with the Peter Bloomfield-trained Rod’s Bid another short head away third.
“She’s all heart,” young jockey Blake Spriggs enthused after yesterday’s victory had brought the seven-year-old mare her eighth career win.
He said the mare had settled beautifully but he was a “little worried at the 500m when they quickened”.
However, he wound her up down the straight and she kept coming to hit the line well.
Her heart shone, Blake Spriggs said of a mare raced by Wendy and Greg Bennett.
Wendy Bennett was on track too and delighted to watch her courageous mare win in such impressive fashion.
Greg Bennett is hoping to win a “metro” race with the mare before she is finished.
“She’s still eligible for a no metro win race somewhere,” he said.
“It looks like that could be at Doomben on the 29th. The track doesn’t suit her but we might have to go.”
He was full of praise for the vanquished too.
“Leon’s horse (Kurtley) raced well, improved a lot from the other day (Muswellbrook Cup) and Peter knows how to get a horse fit (Rod’s Bid) and he ran on well too.”
It was a day of close calls for Davies as Achanizo finished in a dead heat with race favourite High Relief when beaten a head by Luke Griffith’s Lambordini.
Lambordini became the second leg of a double for Griffith after he’d won with Amores Del Sabados earlier in the day.
Fellow Scone trainer Rod Northam also finished with a double when he bookended the meeting with Hot Vinni and Wisen Up.
Hot Vinni burst through the field with some body surfing and pinballing and broke through for his first win at his third start yesterday.
The three-year-old son of I Am Invincible shoved one opponent out of the way to burst through a gap and then bounced off horses inside and out to run away with the Corey’s Catering Maiden Handicap. Ridden by Robert Thompson for Scone trainer Rod Northam Hot Vinni overcame a less than perfect start.
“He was a little tardy out,” Thompson said.
“He wanted to go left but I pulled him back in behind.”
After travelling midfield Thompson then moved the gelding up and found his gap to charge home.
“He finished it off well,” Thompson said.
“He’s a nice young horse and there’s natural improvement. And he’s in pretty good hands.”
Northam bought Hot Vinni at an Inglis Winter sale for $20,000 for some long-term clients.
“They’re all from Branxton and Newcastle,” he said.
“They’ve raced a few with me, Bella Filante and Bennevento. They had some BOBs money left over and bought this bloke.”
His first start at Gosford was forgettable, Northam said.
“He galloped on himself and finished 20 lengths off them,” he said.
“His second run he copped a bad check (beaten seven lengths at Muswellbrook) but today we rode him a little quieter from the gate(12) and hit the line really well.
“He’s a young horse, still learning but there is good improvement in him too.”
Wisen Up was having his second run for Northam yesterday after starting out with Tim Martin and then going to Guy Walter.
“He’s a nice horse,” Northam said.
“I expected him to do something first up (9th) but he was a little disappointing.
“I’ll step him up distance now.”