| Renowned South
Australian wine entrepreneur Wolf Blass was on the top of the world on the top end this
afternoon after a gelding he bred and owns won the listed $128,650 Carlton Draught Darwin
Cup (2000m). Neil Paine rated the Stephen Paynter
trained gelding perfectly in the lead and the gelding held off the challenges of the
recent NT Derby winner Young Challenger to score by a length.
Brave Decision, a gelding by Military Plume, started as one
of the two 5/2 equal favourites in the big race along with the Derby runner-up Grey
Desert. The latter, with Damien Oliver in the saddle, was gone a long way out and
struggled home in last place.
After working to the front at the winning post on the first
lap Brave Decision was soon joined in the front by Grey Desert. The two were eye balling
for up until about the half way mare when Brave Decision worked back in the lead against
the rail.
The gelding ten kicked clear of a weakening Grey Desert,
while another SA bred gelding Young Challenger swept into second place at the 600 metre
mark.
Despite the efforts of Chad Lever aboard the Tony McEvoy
trained Derby winner, Young Challenger was unable to bridge the gap in the home straight.
The Danny Nikolic mount Kahoona was able to cling onto
third place a breath in front of the fast finishing Prince Dubai.
Brave Decision, who's three runs in Darwin have all been
wins, was formerly trained in Adelaide by the Morphettville based Jim Smith.
The Cup winner ended a huge day for the state of South
Australia. Horses, trainers and jockeys from that state had a day out at the Fannie Bay
track.
Earlier in the day the Eyre Peninsula born hoop Tim Norton
rode three winners - Silent Majority, Tjilpi and Old Swampy.
Former Adelaide jockey, now Alice Springs based trainer Ann
Marie White, had two winners on the nine event card - Tjilpi and Mickymoo.
Mickymoo was ridden to victory by the South Australian born
and bred jockey Chad Lever. He also won on the Algy Trengrove trained Nearmiss.
Former Lindsay Park stable rider Gary Clarke also was the
toast of the track when he scored on the 2/1 favourite Masindor in the Wolf Blass
Lightning Plate over 1000 metres.
And rounding out a big day for the South Aussie born hoops
Ben Cornell, a son of Balaklava based trainer John (senior) and brother to Lindsay Park
based foreman and former jumps jockey John (junior), also was in the winner's stall. He
guided home the 33/1 outsider Mr Centrefold to win the fifth event of the afternoon.
Brave Decision was one of two SA bred horses to win.
Tjilpi, who won for Ann Marie White and Tim Norton, is by the Kambula Stud based former
Derby winner Blevic. |
