GOLDEEL ROUNDS OFF A STRONG SECOND HALF OF JANUARY FOR TONY AND MADDYSEN SEARS RACING

By Graham Potter | Saturday, January 29, 2022

Goldeel rounded off the January’s winner’s list for the Tony and Maddysen Sears Training Partnership when he claimed his first career victory at the third time of asking in a Maiden Handicap over 1350m at Ipswich on January 29.

Goldeel had debuted back in August 2021 (he finished unplaced). He did not run again until January 12, 2022 when he was sent to town to tackle a Maiden Plate over 1050m at Doomben. Again, he finished unplaced there after racing in the second half of the field for much of the running

Second-up at Ipswich, with the notable step up to 1350m, it would be a different story.

With the aid of the 2kg claim from apprentice Angela Jones, Goldeel ($3.70) jumped into an immediate lead. Jones then gave up the lead … but not the inside running … when Off Road whipped around her and she continued to hold Goldeel in a close-up second spot, racing at a comfortable gallop behind the new leader, until shifting out approaching the home turn to line up her sights on Off Road.

It took the first half of the straight for Goldeel to gain winning momentum … and he and Off Road did brush as Goldeel went past his rival with 100m left to run, but Goldeel was always doing enough in the final run home to be sure of victory.

Goldeel was Tony and Maddysen Sear’s fifth winner from fifteen runners in the fifteen days from January 15 to January 29 (a thirty-three percent winning strike rate).

And, yes, you’ve guessed it … given the stable’s recent history of consistently producing runners that finish in the placings at least, the stable also recorded two second placings, two third placings and four fourth placings during the afore-mentioned period of time. … in other words, thirteen out of the fifteen horses in question finished in the first four placings.

More articles