DOOMBEN: JANUARY 1: AFTER A NARROW LOSS IN FIRST, BRIAN SMITH GETS ONE BACK WITH LOCK’S LEGEND

By Graham Potter | Friday, January 2, 2015

DOOMBEN: JANUARY 1: BJ SMITH GETS ONE BACK WITH LOCK’S LEGEND.
WINNER: LOCK’S LEGEND (5 ch g Bel Danaro – Country Step).
Class 6 Plate – 1350m.
Track: Good 4; Rail: Out 6m.
Time 1.18.90 (carrying 54.5kg); Last 600m: 34.56.
Second: Queen Of The Lochs; Third: Renewed Vitality.
Won by 0.10 lengths at a starting price of $4.80.

One got away from the BJ Smith stable in the opening race on the card when Riverbolda was beaten by the narrowest of margins but, in this race, LOCK’s LEGEND got his head down when it mattered most to score an overdue victory.

Whether the margin was big or small, there could be no doubting that Lock’s Legend deserved his fourth career success (from thirteen starts) as he had finished runner-up in three of his previous four starts.

WINNER FEEDBACK:

TRAINER BRIAN SMITH:

“Just missed in the first race (with Riverbolda) and got one back here.

“Nice horse this. I just brought him back in distance (from 1650m to 1350m).

“They said he didn’t get the mile last time (although he did finish runner-up, just 0.20 lengths behind Tornado Miss). It’s too hot to be getting out there in a mile and sitting up near the lead and flogging it out, so I thought I’d drop him back in distance and freshen him up.

“You have got to ride them quiet in a shorter race like that and teach them to sprint … and he learnt it quickly.

“Bloody beautiful!”

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