EMERALD KINGDOM BOUNCES BACK TO HIS BEST

By Graham Potter | Saturday, October 29, 2022

Emerald Kingdom bounced back to his best with a runaway victory in an Open Handicap over 1400m at Eagle Farm on October 29.

There was never any doubting Emerald Kingdom’s underlying ability. He has a Group 3 win to his name (in the BRC Sprint) as well as a Listed race success in the Sunshine Coast Cup and, of course, a notable win in the inaugural running of The Archer in Rockhampton … but, it had taken the now eight-year-old some time to get his career into stride again after changing stables from Robert Heathcote to Desleigh Forster.

The first two starts for his new stable, following close to a three month break from race action, were disappointing … resulting in a seventh place, albeit behind a good one in Weona Smartone, and a last place finish in The Weetwood.

It was in his third start for Forster when Emerald Kingdom showed signs that his old competitive flame was still burning … a fourth place finish, just 1.20 lengths behind Ef Troop over 1200m prompting greater expectation leading into this race.

Jasmine Cornish, who was having her first ride on Emerald Kingdom, bounced the $9 chance out smartly from his wide gate and the Forster trained runner had little difficulty in finding the lead.

From that moment, he proceeded to give his rivals a galloping lesson.

Emerald Kingdom stretched the field out behind him in the back stretch … he extended his lead all of the while in the sweep to the home turn … he held as much as a five length advantage on straightening … and he maintained that resolute gallop all the way to the line, never letting anybody else into the race as he left daylight in second place, with the win coming perhaps even more easily than the official 3.50 length winning margin suggests.

It was a huge win … and another Metropolitan winner for Cornish.

They won’t come much easier than this!

Statistics show that this was Emerald Kingdom’s thirteenth career win with prize-money of $885 175, rubber stamping just what a fine career he has had to date … and, on the evidence shown here, he is not finished yet.

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