Trainer Jim Taylor continues to enjoy racing success and yesterday it was Thateldo (Jason Brown) that swept home late to conclusively claim the Westralian Diamond Drillers Handicap(1000m).
The favourite, Travinator, and Park Lane fought for the lead setting a good pace early on the track rated a dead five, with Modello and Thateldo trailing in their wake.
Park Lane (Ben Paterson) was the first horse beaten in the home straight while Channelle O’Grady, chasing a hat trick of wins at the meeting, may have paid for being a little too anxious on the favourite early.
In the final stages Travinator was run down, finishing fourth while Thateldo was doing his best work towards the line, winning by three quarters of a length in a time of 58.78secs.
Dominating finished hard, from ninth on the home turn, to claim second. Modello, given every chance by Ellie Cockram, was a close up in third place.
Thateldo has never finished further back than third in his 12 career starts and half of those have been victories.
Taylor said he was confident before the barrier draw but his spirits had been dampened by drawing the outside barrier.
“He really stretched out in the last 100m and he is the best three year old I have at the moment.”
Overall, such is the strength of Taylor’s sprinters that this very capable galloper is rated third in the stable behind Barakey and Magnifisio.
Taylor said his crack mare, Magnifisio, would only start in the Belmont Sprint next week if she drew a good barrier (1-5).
Emulating O’Grady, Steven Parnham won a double on the day when he landed the Fred Kersley trained On The Ropes, a convincing winner over It’s A Merc (Ryan Hill), in the H&N Perry Handicap (1000m). (The jockey had combined with his father, trainer Neville Parnham, to win the first race equally impressively with Top Show, coming home with a ‘wet sail,’ from ninth on the turn, to win going away).
Kersley felt the 1000 m may have been too short for the galloper, who had not raced since October, but the track conditions worked in his favour.
Kersley described On The Ropes as a horse with a lot of ability but not easy to train.
Jockey Brad Parnham completed a good day for the Parnham family when he landed Fancy Feet a winner for trainer Shane Quilty in the 1650m race.
Fancy Feet looked beaten at the 200m mark when Dash For Home ran past her but Quilty’s favourite mare refused to surrender, impressing both her trainer and jockey.
Quilty intends racing her over a stayers distance at her next start.
By John Elsegood