COLLABORATION has blitzed his opposition to win a second $50,000 XXXX Gold Lismore Cup (2100m) for Coffs Harbour trainer Joanne Hardy by more than 10 lengths.
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The six-year-old gelding son of Halling won the feature race by 10.5 lengths from Stephen Lee’s Scotti Be Gotti with Brad Herne’s Outstrip a half length away third.
Larry Cassidy’s brilliant ride highlighted the stunning runaway win, Cassidy going to the front 1200m out and then spearing away before the turn to put five or six lengths on his opposition and then continuing to race away to a famous victory.
“He’s won by daylight,” said racecaller Anthony Collins.
“He’s blitzed them, it’s a one act affair.”
Joanne Hardy’s father had won the 1995 Lismore Cup with Falcon’s Domain.
“I owned him too,” Joanne Hardy said.
“Been 21 years but I’ve won my second Cup.”
She said Cassidy’s ride was superb.
“When he took the lead at the 1200m I said gees this boy can ride,” she said.
“He made the right move at the right time.”
Cassidy said the rest of the field were dawdling so he decided to cut loose.
“I thought I might as well as go,” Larry Cassidy said.
“I gave him a bit of a breather for about 150m and I wasn’t real game to go again.”
He did and couldn’t believe he responded so well while admitting to being stunned by how far in front he was.
Joanne Hardy said Collaboration is a “2000m horse but had also been crucified by big weights.
“We’ve had to be patient with him,” she said.
A Coffs Harbour Cup in early December may now be on the agenda for the winner of six of 26 starts.
Earlier, Deagon trainer Pat Duff looked on as apprentice Beany Panya led all the way to win aboard his smart gelding On Demand.
Panya rated the son of Snippetson to perfection, assessed former leading jockey Gary Kilese now a commentator and form analyst for Sky Thoroughbred Central. It was also a big day for Murwillumbah trainer Matt Dunn who finished with a winning treble.