Sport
25 March, 2021
My King’s Counsel takes Roycroft steeplechase
A THRILLING finish made for the perfect return of the Bill Roycroft Open Steeplechase last Thursday.
A THRILLING finish made for the perfect return of the Bill Roycroft Open Steeplechase last Thursday.
The time-honoured event, which had not been run for 26 years, returned to the Terang and District Racing Club for its annual jumps meeting.
In a glorified finish, My King’s Counsel, trained by Kathryn Durden, held off a three pronged attack from the Eric Musgrove stable to secure victory.
The six year-old gelding finished narrowly ahead of Lucques and Cheners, with Zataglio finishing third.
Victorious jockey Ronan Short told racing.com post-race My King’s Counsel performed well over the steeples despite his inexperience.
“He jumped unreal for a first steeple start,” he said.
“He was pretty flawless and it was an impressive win.
“His trials have been very good in fairness and his other run the other day was a bit of a hit and run on the heavy ground.
“I thought he was going to win pretty easy on the bend, he loomed up there but he had to fight for it in the end.”
In the Laurie Kenna Memorial Benchmark 120 Hurdle, Hierarchal saluted by more than three lengths under a strong ride from Will Gordon.
The duo delivered trainer Rebecca Waymouth her first jump’s victory and she was thrilled with the result.
“It’s fantastic. I’m rapt to be able to get this horse,” she told racing.com post-race.
“Uncle Butch (Dan Londregan) has had a bit of a sore shoulder and he’s (Hierarchal) got a low rating so we potted a plan to give him a few runs around the picnics and a couple of trials.
“He won super at Balnarring when mum rode him and then I thought he had improved from that and he absolutely trialled the house down at Cranbourne last week.
“They ran seven seconds quicker than anybody else and Will was really happy with him.I tell you what you won’t see many better jumps ride than that, he gave him an absolute pearler.”
In the Peterborough Plate benchmark 64 over 1200 metres, Jarrod Fry and The Stylist got the chocolates for Stawell trainer Deanne Taylor.
The pair overcame a wide game to triumph, with the trainer revealing she expected the five year-old to run well pre-race.
“We’re not too worried about her gate speed so the outside barrier wasn’t too big of an issue,” Taylor told racing.com.
“It’s sort of funny coming to the races with a horse like her because that’s what you expect of her (performance wise).
“It’s a bit more exciting when you come with one that you don’t think is a chance and get the money but with a horse like her you just go there expecting it so it can be disappointing.
“But I do love Terang, it’s a very happy hunting ground.”
In the Inverleigh Hotel Cup benchmark 64 event over 1850 metres, Lorente held off Young Hostess to win for Ciaron Maher and David Eustace and jockey John Allen.
Results:
Race one – Decron Maiden Hurdle, 3200 metres: 1st Mazaz (trainer Eric Musgrove, jockey Darryl Horner Jnr) $6.50, 2nd Eyes Are Blue (David Noonan, Chris McCarthy), 3rd White Heath (Tony Rosolini, Brad Thomas-Rantall);
Race two – Laurie Kenna Memorial Benchmark 120 Hurdle, 3200 metres: 1st Hierarchal (Rebecca Waymouth, Will Gordon), 2nd Coleridge (Eric Musgrove, Arron Lynch), 3rd Rexmont (Kathryn Durden, Ronan Short);
Race three – Bill Roycroft Open Steeple, 3200 metres: 1st My King’s Counsel (Kathryn Durden, Ronan Short) $9.60, 2nd Lucques (Eric Musgrove, Darryl Horner Jnr), 3rd Cheners (Eric Musgrove, Arron Lynch);
Race four – Drinking. Driving. They’re Better Apart Benchmark 58 Heighweight Handicap, 2150 metres: 1st Silicon Valley (Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Chris McCarthy) $2.90, 2nd Jimmy’s Secret (Symon Wilde, Ronan Short), 3rd Catalanic (Luke Williams, Aaron Purcell);
Race five – Murfett and Whiting Electrical Maiden, 1400 metres: 1st Staredown (Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, John Allen) $3.70, 2nd Magnetic Jewel (Pat McKenna, Jarrod Fry), 3rd Don’t Matter (Jamie Barry, Craig Robertson);
Race six – Bet365 Top Tote Plus Benchmark 58 Handicap, 1000 metres: 1st Treatz (Rebecca Waymouth, Will Gordon) $5.30, 2nd Ocean Drive (Shay Keating, Dean Holland), 3rd Swiss Design (Pat McKenna, Samuel Payne);
Race seven – Peterborough Plate Benchmark 64 Handicap, 1200 metres: 1st The Stylist (Deanne Taylor, Jarrod Fry) $7.50, 2nd Filip’s Star (Paul Koumis, Dean Holland), 3rd Private Lounge (Patrick Payne, Declan Bates); and
Race eight – Inverleigh Hotel Cup Benchmark 64 Handicap, 1850 metres: 1st Lorente (Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, John Allen) $4.40, 2nd Young Hostess (Jamie Edwards, Madison Lloyd), 3rd Minola (Paul Preusker, Declan Bates).
