Racing
Championships the goal for emerging Banjora
For the second start in a row, Banjora has produced a touch of drama on his way to victory.
Trainer Bryce Heys might have been holding his breath as Zac Lloyd threaded the needle to take a rails run on promising sprinter Banjora at Rosehill on Wednesday, but the jockey had no such issues.
"Plenty of room," Lloyd said.
"He's a big horse, so he needs a bit more room than an average horse. He was just going that well he was able to bulldoze his way in there."
Bulldoze he did, the $2.50 favourite shouldering eventual third placegetter Astronomix ($2.70) out of the way to barge through along the inside and score by a length over Beau Bandit ($51), the winner going to the line with his ears pricked.
Lloyd and Banjora had to perform a similar manoeuvre to win at Gosford a start earlier and Heys said he would be happy to get the unbeaten gelding away from a fence.
"He is more than brave," Heys said.
"Two starts in a row I can't say he was looking pretty, and that I had any confidence we'd get the result, despite the horse's ability, but to overcome that twice in a row now, not many can do it."
The horse's next goal is likely to be the 1200m Provincial-Midway Championships qualifier at Gosford on March 14 and if he can win that, Heys will look at a start in the Final (1400m) at Randwick in April.
"I was going to go to the Gosford qualifier for the Provincial Midway," he said.
"The 1400 might be a query, but I thought against that class of horse, he might be alright."
"Hopefully he ends up in the Provincial-Midway Championship."
Chris Waller and James Mcdonald headed into Wednesday's meeting needing one more win to give them 500 victories together and twice fell just short, Almaaz going down by a head to Fireball Miss, while Soverato was mowed down late by Aisle Two.
The trainer and jockey will have another four chances to bring up the milestone at Canterbury on Friday night.
Check out the latest South African News