THE FACE LANDS A STRONG END-TO-END WIN. THAT'S TWO-IN-ROW NOW

By Graham Potter | Saturday, November 18, 2023

The Face confirmed his form resurgence when he made it back-to-back wins in a Class 6 Plate over 1200m at the Sunshine Coast on November 18 ... the opening day of the Queensland Summer Carnival ... in the process making it two wins out of three starts since relocating to the David Vandyke stable.

The change of scenery has sparked a new lease of life in the six-year-old who, back in May this year, finished only 2.75 lengths behind Think About It in the Listed Takeover Target.

While Think About It would go on to win no less than the $20 million The Everest five months later, The Face’s two starts subsequent to his Takeover Target run were only ordinary, hence the decision to send the son of Rubick north to the Vandyke yard in search of a change of fortune ... and that move was quick to pay dividends when The Face saluted at Doomben in a Class 3 Plate over 1200m on October 28.

Allowed a neat three week break between runs, Vandyke had The Face lining up again for this Class 6 Plate on his (new) home track on a feature race day in a race in which The Face would show he was primed to perfection for the occasion.

With top apprentice Cejay Graham in the saddle for the first time, the clear intent was to take no prisoners in the running as Graham, who had ensured that The Face ($5.50) jumped well at the start, used The Face’s gate-speed to good advantage, pushing her mount forward into an immediate lead, before taking her time in allowing The Face to cross his field (he had jumped from barrier number 7) and hold the rail position by the time the field had travelled 200m.

Once there, Graham and The Face dictated from the front. Arentee ($5) raced a length off the Vandyke trained runner throughout the sweep to the home turn ... no other runner was within two lengths of The Face at that stage ... and, when The Face kicked away, full of running shortly after straightening, his rivals were all suddenly under pressure and struggling to peg him back.

With 200m left to run, The Face was a little over two lengths clear of what had now become a hard-chasing, wall of horses ... and he was not stopping.

Fir all of the efforts of those behind him, it quickly became evident over the final 100m that those chasers were all only competing for a minor share of the prize-money as Graham took The Face to the line, still galloping with meaning, to score by 2.30 length margin from the $2.30 favourite Freedom Rally, who never ever got close enough at any stage to trouble the winner.

The win franked a highly successful three-week period for The Face, who added $91 500 to his prize-money pool ... the total of which now stands at $368 115, courtesy of four wins and seven places from twenty-three starts.

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