LAST CHANCE SALOON IS TOO QUICK ON THE DRAW FOR HIS RIVALS

By Graham Potter | Friday, January 26, 2024

Last Chance Saloon scored the third win of his career in only eight starts, with his race record also including no less than four runner-up finishes, when he landed a Class 2 Handicap over 1400m at Eagle Farm on January 26.

The Maurice gelding had finished off his previous two-race preparation with a win in a Class 2 Handicap over 1200m at the Gold Coast on December 9 and, second-up here, with ace pilot Michael Rodd in the saddle, the lightly raced four-year-old stepped up the distance test to 1400m and was the medium of fair support at $3.50, being closely locked together on the betting boards with the Tony Gollan trained Boom Shot who ultimately narrowly beat the Vandyke trained runner to favouritism to start marginally shorter at $3.30.

These two runners did in fact contest the finish but, importantly for the Vandyke stable, on the track it was Last Chance Saloon who beat out his more fancied rival to score by a little over a length.

Last Chance saloon landed in a clear lead but was immediately eased but by Rodd to settle slightly worse than midfield in fifth place, some three-and-a-half lengths off the leader, racing alongside Boom Shot as the field went down the back straight.

That deficit was up to five to six lengths in the start of the sweep to the home turn with Rodd confidently biding his time, saving ground along the rail with each and every stride.

The benefit of that inside run saw Last Chance Saloon improve to be within two lengths of the lead on straightening but, for a brief time early in the home straight, the worry was whether Last Chance Saloon would be able to get a crack at them with his path forward, at that stage, blocked by the two duelling runners in front of him.

Rodd had to wait for a much-needed gap to appear along the inside running rail and, when it did, he powered Last Chance Saloon through it and into the lead.

Last Chance Saloon still had work to do over the final 200m though as Boom Shot, having taken a different route, was now extending with meaning down the centre of the track.

Last Chance Saloon had got first run on his market rival though and, after being held up momentarily in the straight, he was now full of running and, try as Boom Shot might, Last Chance Saloon never looked like relinquishing the upper hand and he strode strongly to the line to complete a facile win.

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