KEEFY FINISHES SECOND IN THE GUINEAS. DISSOLUTION’S GAME EFFORT UNDER TOP WEIGHT IN THE CUP

By Graham Potter | Saturday, September 25, 2021

The David Vandyke stable sent out two runners – Whitewater ($2.70) and Keefy ($3.50) to contest the Garden City Guineas over 1625m at Toowoomba on September 25.

Keefy, who was bidding for two-in-a-row after winning at Ipswich in his previous start, would finish the better of the two Vandyke trained runners, coming home in in second place, comfortably clear of the third placed Red Wave, but having no answer to the flying finishing burst of Bulloo ($3.50).

The two Vandyke runners took up the running from the break with Keefy holding a narrow advantage as he tried to make every post a winning one.

The two leaders held their positions until the home turn where they were both pushed along as Bulloo emerged as a real threat. Try as they might, Bulloo simply carried too much ammunition for her opposition who she gunned down with some aplomb over the closing stages.

Credit to Keefy (Mark Du Plessis) though for staying on to claim the runner-up position while Whitewater (Ryan Maloney) peaked on his run late and was beaten out of third spot by Red Wave. This was Whitewater’s first race beyond 1350m.

Keefy now has two wins and two placed finishes from six starts.

Whitewater, for his part, had come into the race with sound credentials. He had finished second on debut before winning his Maiden at his second start. Both of those races were over 1200m.

Whitewater was then given a bigger test, stepping up both in class and distance to tackle a Three-Year-Old Quality over 1350m where he finished second to the more than useful filly Startantes who completed a hat trick of wins in that race. (It is worth noting that Startantes went on to contest the Group 1 Golden Rose in his next start … on the same day as the Garden City Guineas … where she ran on well enough from behind without ever threatening the result).

Whitewater’s record now has a win, two runner-up finishes and a fourth place from only four starts.

Both Keefy and Whitewater are clearly still works in progress.
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Dissolution ($21) had to settle for fifth place in the Toowoomba Cup which was won by another Sunshine Coast based runner Wapiti from the Jack Duncan stable.

Mark Du Plessis chased Dissolution from a wide draw to take up a prominent position early and he settled in a comfortable third place. Dissolution was a little over two lengths off the leader down the back straight. He was closer on the approach to the turn and right in contention as the field straightened for home.

The $3.20 favourite Champagne Auntie tried to steal a break at the top of the straight with Dissolution chasing hard Dissolution, but both of these horses were to be run out of it when Wapiti and Honorable Spirit ($4.40) arrived racing strongly down the centre of the track. They would go in to finish in that order with Champagne Auntie and Dissolution having to settle for third and fourth place respectively.

It was not surprising that Dissolution appeared a bit one-paced late in the straight. It was a brave effort given that Dissolution, who carried top weight of 59kg, was giving no less than a 5kg advantage to every one of the runners who finished in front of him (they all carried 54kg) … and he was only neaten by 3.20 lengths.
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A day after the big Weetwood meeting at Toowoomba, on September 26, Cotton Fields finished second in a Class 2 Handicap over 1200m at Doomben to improve her record to two wins and two second place finishes from eight starts.

After Keefy and Desert Lord on the Saturday, Cotton Fields was the Vandyke stables third second placing from the stables last four runners.

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