FAST TALKING STILL THRIVING AS AN EIGHT-YEAR-OLD

By Graham Potter | Saturday, April 1, 2023

The David Vandyke trained Fast Talking ($5.50) overcame the task of carrying the steadying burden of 59kg when he outgunned the race favourite Southern Stock and the $5 chance Warp Sped in a three-way battle to the line in BM90 Handicap over 2200m at Doomben on April 1.

Vandyke is doing marvels with this eight-year-old son of Walking Or Dancing who was having his fifty-first start here, keeping the gelding’s appetite for success alive to the degree that he was able to give the runner-up Southern Stock 5.5kg and the third placed Warp Speed 5kg at the weights ... and beat them home by 0.57 length beating 0.59 lengths respectively.

This was Fast Talking’s fourth run in this latest preparation in which Vandyke had gradually raised the race distance for the gelding ... from the 1350m (first-up when placed fourth only 1.50 lengths off the winner), to 1600 (and a second place), to 1800m (and a third place finish) ... and then on to this 2200m trip.

With the exception of the first-up run where Fast talking was partnered by Jim Byrne, Vandyke entrusted Kyle Wilson-Taylor with the reins in all of the subsequent three starts.

So, it was Wilson-Taylor who settled Fast Talking in a comfortable fourth place in the early part, racing a little over three lengths off the leader as the field came past the winning post for the first time and there was little change to the order going down the back stretch.

Towards the end of the back straight Fast Talking momentarily went back to fifth place in the six horse field, but, when the pace went on in the middle of the sweep to the home turn, Fast Talking quickly had the fourth place back again and he was travelling well as Wilson-Taylor angled him out four wide on the turn ... with clear air in front of him, but still with three lengths to make up on straightening.

Warp Speed was the first to get to the long-time leader Scarlet Tufty ($4) and Southern Stock was also quickening nicely enough but, as close as these two runners did get to earning the win, once Wilson-Taylor got Fast Talking going through his gears, the Vandyke trained runner steadily built what would become a winning momentum.

Fast Talking got to the lead with 75m left to run and, with both Warp Speed and Southern Stock unable to offer more, the race then belonged to Fast Talking who improved his race record to ten wins from fifty-one start with fourteen minor placings and a cool $473 090 banked in prize-money.

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