HIGHLY talented fouryear-old gelding Farooq displayed his class and had to call on his reserves at both ends of Sunday’s 2100-metre 2020 Penola Cup before winning his fourth race at start number 14.
Punters who took the Winx-like odds ($1.40) about Farooq did plenty of sweating before the favourite gave his trainer Sue Murphy her third Penola Cup success this century.
While many expected it to be a stroll in the park for Farooq in the sevenhorse field, it turned out to be anything but, as the hot favourite was caught three wide in the early stages before working to the lead at the 1400 metres.
He then had to pull out all stops when Disco Rebel, the former Limestone Coast owned and trained mare now trained at Oakbank, emerged as a major threat in the final 100 metres.
Farooq had seemingly shaken off his rivals at the top of the straight and in a nail-biting finish, prevailed by half a head to compliment Murphy’s victories in the feature race in 2003 (Our Harvest Time) and 2011 (Havanotherone).
A double for the day for Murphy again allowed her to regain the lead from Sue Jaensch at the top of the 2019/20 Limestone Coast trainer’s premiership ladder.
Mount Gambier trainers also made their presence felt, winning four of the eight races.
Racing was conducted on a Soft 5 surface and again it was a leader biased track with six of the eight winners leading or sitting second.
Young Lars may have opened as favourite for the 1700-metre maiden, but drifted substantially to jump the equal favourite with the well supported Provocative Man ($4.20-$3.30).
At his previous run, Young Lars ($2.30-$3.30) had put up an eye catching effort to run home strongly from 10th at the 400 metres when second in a 1550-metre maiden at Bordertown.
The three-year-old gelding raced in a similar fashion on Sunday, being a clear last at the 600 metres before rounding up his rivals in the space of 300 metres to easily break his maiden status at start number five.
In a maiden of substance, the victory continued the great affinity Bordertown trainer Jeff Searle has had with his runners in recent years at Penola.
Ironical also had support from punters ($4.20-$3.40) and just pipped Provocative Man for second placing.
A complete change of riding tactics paved the way for Saduka to thrash her rivals in the 1400-metre maiden.
At the six-year-old mare’s three previous runs this campaign, Saduka ($6-$8) had raced back in the field and not improved, but on this occasion her apprentice Kayla Crowther surged her from the
barriers to lead clearly after 200 metres.
That was virtually the last her seven rivals saw of her to give trainer Darryl Dodson his seventh winner of the Limestone Coast season.
Maximum Hustle ($2.25-$3) was the only one to stay in touch with Saduka and did so until the top of the straight, while the well-backed Act Of Aggression ($4.60-$2.70 fav.) only battled into third spot.
