LAST CHANCE SALOON OUTGUNS THEM AT THE COAST

By Graham Potter | Saturday, December 9, 2023

Last Chance Saloon powered home in a pressured finish, under a top ride from Tiffani Brooker, to claim a Class 2 Handicap over 1200m at the Gold Coast on December 9 at the first race meeting held on the new turf racing surface.

The David Vandyke trained gelding was second-up after resuming with a runner-up placing on November 17 over 1110m at Ipswich. He was only just touched off that day and was unlucky not to come away a winner ... but, fitter for that run and increasing the distance from 1110m to 1200m, the four-year-old wasted no time in setting the record straight to claim a second career success.

This latest assignment was to be no ‘gimme’ though.
Sent out on the third line of betting at easy-to-back odds of $4.40, Last Chance Saloon had to call on all of his reserves and fighting qualities to prevail in a close three way go to the line which saw less than half-a-length cover the first three runners past the post.

Brooker took Last Chance saloon back from a wide draw early, settling some four to five lengths off the lead in the early part. She then helped Last Chance Saloon to bring that deficit down to three lengths approaching the home turn in a bunched field ... and she wisely switched Last Chance Saloon out four wide on straightening, leaving him free from the traffic congestion that was taking place inside of him.

In the first half of the straight it was the $6 chance Bella Babe who tried to kick away up front with both Pangaea, the $3.80 second favourite, and Last Chance Saloon in hot pursuit.

Bella Babe still held a narrow advantage with 100m left to run, but she was about to be swamped as Pangaea and Last Chance Saloon ranged up alongside her leaving it to these two runners to fight out the finish over the concluding stages.

When it mattered most though, it was the Vandyke trained runner who finished the better of the two with Last Chance Saloon maintained a strong, concentrated effort all the way to the line to win by 0.20 lengths.

Chances are Last Chance Saloon was only warming up here as it would appear he will be even better over more ground.

In essence, the lightly raced son of Maurice has yet to run a bad race with this win taking his race record to two wins and three second places from only six starts ... the only time he finished out of the first two places being on debut where he came home in fourth spot, just 1.80 lengths off the winner.

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