ANOTHER MAJOR GROUP ONE FOR KILGRAVIN LODGE

ANOTHER MAJOR GROUP ONE FOR KILGRAVIN LODGE 

COURTSEY OF ANZ NEWS


For a horse unwanted as a yearling, Sangster has given plenty of judges, good and bad, cause to think again since, writes Darryl Sherer. Originally passed in as yearling at the New Zealand Bloodstock Select Sale, he then went to NZB Ready-To-Run Sale where he was purchased for NZ$19,000 and yesterday at Flemington he ran out the winner of the AAMI-sponsored $1.5 million Victoria Derby (Gr 1, 2500m).
In contrast to his previous start, where apprentice James McDonald went off early in the Norman Robinson Stakes (Gr 2, 2000m) at Caulfield and was run down by Sabrage (Charge Forward), with senior jockey Hugh Bowman in the saddle yesterday, the tables were turned. Bowman allowed Sangster to settle in midfield and then avoided two different bouts of scrimmaging before the home turn where he was poised to challenge.

With race-favourite Manawanui (Oratorio (IRE)) looming up to press for the lead, Bowman asked Sangster to quicken and the son of Savabeel (Zabeel) answered the call, lengthening to go clear after passing the 300m mark. Sangster looked set for a comfortable victory until Induna (Elusive Quality), one of the principal sufferers in the second bout of scrimmaging that saw him shuffled back at a vital stage before the home turn, came with a strong run, closing steadily but running out of ground, Sangster passing the post with a head to spare over the Darley-homebred. Sabrage (Charge Forward) running a brave race and rewarded with third, one and a quarter lengths away.

“We set this day up six months ago and for it to pay off, it’s a dream result,” winning trainer Trent Busuttin said afterwards. “It is fantastic, I cannot describe it. We bought the horse at last year’s Ready To Run Sale from Kilgravin Lodge. Having a staying pedigree we bought him as a Derby type of horse and everything’s gone to plan and it’s great to have him here. “Since we set the horse for the Derby everything has gone a dream and it is just unbelievable that we have got there and done the job.

We were three deep the whole way. I thought we were no hope at the 600m. Hughie (Bowman) said before the race that he did not want to hit the front until the 200m but he was in front at the turn.” The memory of being run down at his last start was there to haunt Busuttin. “I did not want to yell until the 100m and as soon as I did Induna came out after us and I thought ‘here we go again’.

“I just want to thank all the people that have helped us along the way, the guys up in Sydney, blokes like Reg Elliot that have given us galloping mates, all the vets and all the farriers. All my team back home.” Bowman was winning the Derby for the second consecutive year. “He travelled beautifully in the run, my plan was to go back worse than midfield to settle him but he jumped well and I thought we would go forward,” the Dunedoo-born jockey explained. “He got keen and I tried to settle him but I was really happy with where I was in the run.” Bowman said he was probably left in front a bit too soon but that was the way the race unfolded. “The horse in front of me just punctured at the 600m and I did not want to come out from behind him but I had no option. He just took me into the race and I hit the front a long way from home but I had not really asked him for an effort. “When he got to about 100 (metres) out he started to lose his way a bit and I was really worried because he was on his last legs. I wasn’t surprised to see Induna loom up to me and because his Geelong win was excellent.”

The Derby is the first stakes win for Sangster (3 g Savabeel – Quinta Special, by Spectrum) has now won three of his eight starts and has earned $1,015,851.