Delago Deluxe (AUS) completed a Scottsville Gr 1 double when running on well to land the Golden Horse Casino Sprint over 1200m on Saturday, exactly a year after winning the Tsogo Sun Medallion at the corresponding meeting in 2011. Snowdon (SAF) made late progress for second, edging out Shades Of Indigo (SAF) and Copper Parade (SAF).
Unannounced, stablemate to the eventual winner, took an immediate lead with Deliver The Power pacing it out with him to the inside. Delago Deluxe sat in the leader's slipstream with Two Tone and Antious also quite prominent. What A Winter also raced towards the inside, about four lengths off the pace, with Snowdon and Shades Of Indigo a similar margin behind and Copper Parade further back.
Delago Deluxe quickened up nicely when asked and kicked clear of his field about 300m out as the early leaders fell away. Shades Of Indigo started to make up ground and looked the immediate danger with Snowdon also starting to get into it. As hard as they chased, they simply could not get on terms with Charles Laird's charge and the son of Encosta De Lago had just over a length to spare at the line.
Delago Deluxe's Medallion victory last year was enough to clinch him the Equus juvenile male award last season but he had not quite lived up to his early promise in six starts this term. He bounced back in no uncertain terms here and there was a lot to like about the way he kept going when the pressure was on. On this showing, there are more graded prizes waiting to be won.
Snowdon ran a cracker in second. He's best over slightly further and justified trainer Ormonde Ferraris' decision to bring him down for a tilt at this.
The Joey Ramsden-trained pair of Shades Of Indigo and Copper Parade went off at long odds and ensured an appropriately large quartet payout. They're both better than their respective starting prices suggest, however, albeit inconsistent and showed yet again they can compete at this level when in the mood.
3 b c Encosta De Lago (AUS) - Succeeding (AUS) by Flying Spur (AUS)
Mrs I Jooste & Mr M J Jooste
Bred by Mr G Harvey, NSW
Winning trainer: Charles Laird
IMAGES OF THE RACEDAY
SV804 - Race 8 - R600K - GOLDEN HORSE CASINO SPRINT (Grade 1)
Merit Rated Handicap - 1200m |
| No |
Horse |
Jockey |
Al/Bl |
Kg |
Dr |
Fin |
Dist |
Time |
OP |
SP |
| 10 |
DELAGO DELUXE (AUS) |
Anton Marcus |
A B |
54.0 |
3 |
1 |
0.00 |
69.81 |
8/1 |
5/1 |
| 6 |
SNOWDON |
Piere Strydom |
A |
55.5 |
10 |
2 |
1.25 |
70.03 |
8/1 |
22/1 |
| 15 |
SHADES OF INDIGO |
Juan Paul V'D Merwe |
A B |
52.0 |
4 |
3 |
1.35 |
70.05 |
50/1 |
40/1 |
| 8 |
COPPER PARADE |
Richard Fourie |
A B |
54.5 |
8 |
4 |
1.45 |
70.07 |
40/1 |
55/1 |
| 7 |
RUSHING WIND |
Stuart Randolph |
A B |
55.0 |
14 |
5 |
2.20 |
70.20 |
40/1 |
55/1 |
| 5 |
CASTLETHORPE (AUS) |
Karl Neisius |
A |
56.0 |
15 |
6 |
2.30 |
70.22 |
6/1 |
8/1 |
| 16 |
THE SHARK (ZIM) |
M J Byleveld |
A B |
52.0 |
13 |
7 |
3.05 |
70.36 |
25/1 |
28/1 |
| 11 |
DEPARDIEU |
Robbie Fradd |
A |
54.0 |
9 |
8 |
3.30 |
70.40 |
10/1 |
8/1 |
| 12 |
UNANNOUNCED (AUS) |
Raymond Danielson |
A |
54.0 |
6 |
9 |
4.30 |
70.58 |
14/1 |
11/1 |
| 9 |
REBEL KNIGHT |
Karis Teetan |
A |
54.5 |
16 |
10 |
4.55 |
70.63 |
25/1 |
55/1 |
| 3 |
DELIVER THE POWER |
Brandon Lerena |
a |
56.5 |
2 |
11 |
6.05 |
70.90 |
10/1 |
14/1 |
| 13 |
MOROCCAN (ZIM) |
Sean Veale |
A |
53.0 |
12 |
12 |
6.80 |
71.04 |
50/1 |
45/1 |
| 1 |
WHAT A WINTER |
Bernard Fayd'Herbe |
A |
60.0 |
5 |
13 |
8.30 |
71.31 |
2/1 |
22/10 |
| 14 |
TWO TONE |
Corne Orffer |
A B |
53.0 |
7 |
14 |
9.05 |
71.45 |
50/1 |
66/1 |
| 4 |
ANTIOUS (ARG) |
Keagan Latham |
A |
56.5 |
1 |
15 |
11.05 |
71.83 |
16/1 |
11/1 |
| 2 |
LINK MAN |
Anthony Delpech |
A |
57.0 |
11 |
16 |
17.05 |
72.97 |
9/2 |
7/1 |
| 17 |
MIKE'S CHOICE |
Scratched |
|
