General News
12 December, 2019
Campo races to Terang victory
CAMPO’S second win for trainer Geoff Daffy was reward for effort for a horse that has been very consistent according to stable assistant Neville Wilson.
CAMPO’S second win for trainer Geoff Daffy was reward for effort for a horse that has been very consistent according to stable assistant Neville Wilson.
The son of Lady Chopin produced a bold effort to win for the second time in his career in a benchmark 58 1400 metre event at Terang on Wednesday.
Wilson said the five year-old gelding was an honest horse that had been “a bit stiff in a few of his races” leading up to his win.
He said a second last start and a fifth the start before had the horse primed for victory, with Campo finally producing the goods as it recorded a “good, honest win”.
“He’s been unlucky in a few and has had to put up with a bad draw quite often so he was a bit stiff not to have won another race or two,” Wilson said.
“He’s only ever finished beyond fifth once in his life, so he’s been very consistent really.
“He’s been building to it sort of and he only just got there in the end but that’s all you have to do.”
Victorious jockey Dylan Dunn continued his unbeaten affiliation with Campo, with the hoop helping the gelding record it’s second win after piloting it to its maiden win at Colac in December last year some 10 starts ago.
Dunn proved to make the winning move shortly after the jump, with the pair pushing up to the lead from barrier eight.
They were headed by home track specialist Peg Leg Ben for the majority of the race but shortly upon straightening Campo and Dunn opened up a gap on the field.
The pair held a one length lead for the majority of the home straight, with Dunn doing enough in the last 100 metres to secure victory on a tiring horse.
They held off Numerate and No New Tricks by a long neck in a winning time of one minute and 24.02 seconds.
Wilson said Dunn made the winning move early in the race after they had planned for the horse to sit just off the pace.
“We thought Peg Leg Ben would lead and that we’d slot in there (behind the leaders) somewhere,” he said.
“But he began very well and he (Dylan) had to go forward, otherwise he would have been stuck three or four wide.
“He elected to go forward which proved to be the right thing to do.”
The win was a timely result for Campo’s connections which include Wilson, his good friend Ross Inglis, Bernadette Taylor and the Ayneff Syndicate made up of working connections to Inglis.
But it was even sweeter for the Couldn’t Be Happier Syndicate from Terang who purchased a share in Campo on Monday after one of the horse’s original owners sold his share.
Wilson said the Couldn’t Be Happier Syndicate had been a great supporter of the stable, with the group also owning a half share of Rondalago.
He said the stable was thrilled to enjoy more success with the group and Campo’s fellow connections following Rondalago’s win in November.
“They were very happy the boys and girls,” Wilson said.
“There’s about 12 in the syndicate and he’s paid for himself first up (for them) which is pretty lucky.
“They’re all lovely people and are passionate about their horses.
“They’re great to deal with and as owners they take the good with the bad.”
Wilson said the stable would now look to take Campo through his classes around the district and would target ideal races once they have a better idea of what Campo’s rating is.
He said the horse was well placed to continue running at the 1400 metre distance although there will be considerations to the horse running over a mile (1600 metres) or over six furlongs (1200 metres).
“Johnny Allen reckons he’ll get a mile and he has ran it before and I think he will get over it (again) but I think 1400 at the moment is ideal for him,” Wilson said.
“It takes the pressure off him a bit because they go pretty hard in the 1200 and Dylan told the Terang boys he thinks he’s a 1200 metre horse but 1400 is ideal for him at the moment.”