TOO EASY FOR SNEAK PREVIEW AT LONG ODDS

By Graham Potter | Saturday, December 23, 2023

Two days before Christmas the ever-game ‘old-timer’ Sneak Preview gave the David Vandyke stable an early Christmas present when he led his rivals a merry dance over the concluding stages of a BM78 Handicap over 1820m at Eagle Farm on December 23.

This was Sneak Preview’s tenth career win and the pay-check for his effort pushed his career earnings passed the $400 000 barrier, taking it to $408 235.

Sneak Preview had not been at his best in a series of runs from mid-June finishing unplaced on five straight occasions, but there had been a semblance of a form return in his last run leading into this assignment when Sneak Preview finished fourth behind the smart Knight’s Choice over 2000m.

Punters were not convinced, however, and Sneak Preview was allowed to jump at odds of $21, a price the Vandyke runner made a mockery of under a gem of a ride from apprentice Cejay Graham which clearly made a significant contribution to the successful outcome.

From an inside draw, Graham settled Sneak Preview in midfield on the rail early. That position changed to be just worse than midfield ... some six lengths off the lead ... as the field went down the back straight, and Graham continued to bide her time, always saving ground, in the sweep to the home turn.

That inside run, particularly with most of the other runners fanning wider on entering the home straight, took Sneak Preview right up to fourth place on straightening, now less than three lengths back.

With Graham not having spent any petrol early, the response was there from Sneak Preview when Graham put her foot on the accelerator ... and the son of Smart Missile duly launched his challenge in a manner which he rivals could not match.

Sneak Preview was already in front with 250m left to run and, from that moment, the race was over as a serious contest, with Sneak Preview leaving them all for dead over the final 200m to explode away to earn a well-deserved victory by a 2.20 length margin.

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