Racing
Hit and miss for punters in Devonport
Favourite backers were off the mark, but some well-defined plunges were successful at the Devonport meeting on Sunday. Not one favourite saluted on the nine-race card.
First-starter Blameitontheboogie got the ball rolling, scoring an impressive win and landing some good bets in the process. Despite drawing the outside barrier, Blameitontheboogie was backed from $6.50 into $3.20, winning the 1009m maiden, the opening event.
Blameitontheboogie charged clear in the last 100m to win by 3 1/2 lengths and should win more races on that performance.
That marked the first leg of a winning double for trainer Glenn Stevenson and jockey Codi Jordan.
Their second winner was an even bigger plunge, The Longest Yard, which started at $5.50 after opening as much as $34. Stevenson had publicly given both horses strong chances before the meeting.
The Longest Yard took out the 1350m class 1, defeating Zoete's Rock and Emmjay.
Veteran trainer Michael Trinder has no grand plans for his dependable galloper Chicane. He secured a narrow victory in the 1880m BM72, winning in a photo finish over Shy Guy, with early leader Fashion Fox coming in third.
"He's won $151,000 up until today. I had wanted to make him a stayer, and that was his first win beyond 1600m. He was resolute in the fact that he settled today and didn't pull. He got the trip okay, he's done a marvellous job for his ability, but he's been worked very solidly to get the trip," Trinder said.
Chicane ($5 – $8) joined the Trinder stable in mid-2023. His overall record is 39 starts for six wins and 16 placings. At Devonport, he has raced 19 times with four wins and eight placings.
"He is better on the synthetic; he did win in Launceston over 1600m, but his best form is on the synthetic."
Apprentice Christopher Pang, who had been passed fit to ride after a tumble in an earlier race, gave Chicane a near-perfect ride.
"Chris and I get on well, he lives at the stables where I train from, and we've got a great rapport. We sat down yesterday and worked it out, I said stay on the fence and conserve him for one run, and he was quite elated with the win."
Premiership leading pair John Blacker and his apprentice Jackson Radley shared honours for the day with Stevenson and Jordan.
JKB won with Warica (Erica Byrne Burke), who scored in the 1150m BM60. His second winner of the day was Manhattan Nights with Radley in the saddle in the 1650m maiden.
Radley also scored on Garçon D'espoir for Yassy Nishitani, who lived up to his recent trial form, scoring first-up in the 1150m class 2.
Garçon D'espoir was another well-supported runner, firming from $7.50 to start at $4.
Smart sprinter Tsunami Sam ($5.50 – $4) resumed from a spell with a strong win in the $45,000 Open Hcp, leading all the way to win by 1 1/2 lengths from Geegee Jet By and Galenus.
Mightymaxi was the longest priced winner of the day and a noted drifter ($13 – $26) taking out the 1650m class 2. Mightymaxi had been unplaced in all seven runs this campaign.
Geegees City Boy ($3.10 – $5.50) scored his first win beyond 1150m with a rails-hugging ride by Kelvin Sanderson in the class 4 (1350m).
Power Magnum, who parted company with Christopher Pang at the start, caused some problems during the race, but veteran Sanderson used all his nous to get Geegees City Boy home.
Check out the latest South African News