A NEW ERA BEGINS AT THE GOLD COAST

By Graham Potter | Saturday, December 9, 2023

AN HISTORIC DAY AT THE GOLD COAST AS THE FIRST MEETING ON THE NEW TURF TRACK USHERS IN A NEW ERA FOR THE GOLD COAST TURF CLUB
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HOSTWIN CROWN PUTS HIS NAME IN THE RECORD BOOKS

Local trainer Adam Campton and Brazilian jockey Elione Chavez claimed a small piece of history when the four-year-old gelding Hostwin Crown took out the opening race ... a Class 1 Handicap over 1000m ... at the first race meeting held on the new turf track at the Gold Coast Turf Club on January 9.

It was a good training effort as the son of Hallowed Crown was first-up after a full nine months away from race action. The gelding had given early notice of having some ability when winning on debut at Lismore back in February 2023 and, although his follow-up result was ordinary, he franked that level of early promise by again putting up a strong showing when racing fresh.

Hostwin Crown was easy to back at $8.50, largely due to the presence in the race of the Tony Gollan trained Rose Noir, who was the clear main fancy at $2.15.

Chavez jumped Hostwin Crown well and pushed forward to lead early claiming an advantage that he was never in any real danger of relinquishing as, under a perfectly rated ride by Chavez, he was able to comfortably tow the field along until changing gears to asset his superiority in the home straight.

That’s two wins from only three starts and an honour as the first winner on the new track that can never be taken away from him.
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ALAKAI SWAMP – FIRST RUN, FIRST WIN

The Kelly Purdy trained Alakai Swamp scored an impressive enough debut win when taking out a Maiden Handicap over 1100m.

The son of Kobayashi, who started at $6, did not race as either a two-year-old or three-year-old, but the chestnut quickly started making up for lost time in his first start outgunning the Tony Gollan trained second favourite Deep Dawn ($4.60) by 0.80 lengths at the line.

These two runners made it a two-horse contest virtually from the break as they went head-to-head in a prolonged stride for stride battle in which there was very little between them ... Deep Dawn did hold a narrow advantage early ... until Paul Hammersley and Alakai Swamp finally gained the upper hand inside the last 200m and stayed on strongly to ensure there was no option for Deep Dawn to fight back.
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LAST CHANCE SALOON GUNS THEM DOWN

Last Chance Saloon powered home in a pressured finish, under a top ride from Tiffani Brooker, to claim a Class 2 Handicap over 1200m.

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.

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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A CHANGE OF SCENERY DOES THE TRICK FOR KOBENHAVN

Kobenhavn scored her second career win, a full thirteen months after her first success, when she landed a BM62 Handicap over 1200m in her first start since transferring to the Tony Gollan stable.

The four-year-old daughter of I Am Invincible has previously raced eight times for the Peter and Paul Snowden training partnership for the two years from October 2021 to October 2023 ... having more trials (ten) than starts during that period, and the change of scenery clearly did her the world of good.

A $2.35 favourite, Kobenhavn was given a confident ride by Anthony Allen who pushed his mount up to dispute the lead early.

Allen then held his position until the field straightened for home where he set the Gollan trained runner about her business and Kobenhavn quickly surged into a clear lead, an advantage he would hold all the way to the line, in spite of the fact that Zouperb ($5) did come out of the pack to be snapping at the winner’s heels over the concluding stages.
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CAPE CRUSADER GETS HOME BY THE NARROWEST OF MARGINS

The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Cape Crusader ($3.40) became the second successive favourite to win on the day when he got the decision by the narrowest of margins in a Maiden Handicap over 1700m.

The three-year-old son of Heroic Valour really had to earn the honours.

Settled in third place some three lengths off the leader Kotoni ($5) for the first half of the race, Emily Lang urged Cape Crusader up alongside Kotoni at the point of the home turn, a move which signalled the start of dogfight between these two runners in a no holds barred, stride-for-stride battle which would last the whole length of the home straight.

At the 150m mark it momentarily looked like Cape Crusader had taken the measure of Kotoni, but the latter fought back, and it was only on the line that the result could be called ... and a photo-finish was needed to decide that.

It was Cape Crusader’s race, denying trainer Adam Campton a double on the day as his charge Kotoni had to settle for second place with the Paula Barron trained Vacation Leave ($7) flying up late to secure an eye-catching, close up third place.
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BARRON GETS ONE BACK. ALLEN MAKES IT A DOUBLE

Trainer Paula Barron had watched her runner Vacation Leave arrive too late to have a major say in the result in the previous race, but she got her stable winner here when Russian Warrior, a $6.50 chance, took the race by the scruff of the neck from the break and remained strong enough to score an end-to-end win.

Powered to the front early after jumping from a wide, number ten barrier draw, Russian Warrior was still dictating the pace of the race to suit herself in front of a packing up field as she brought the runners into the home straight.

On straightening, Anthony Allen gave Russian Warrior more rein and the chase was well and truly on. By the 200m mark, a wall of runners were lining up across the track trying to reel in Russian Warrior, but the Barron trained runner was not about to undo the hard work that had got him into this winning position, and he never faltered in the final chase to the line where he still had a length to spare on his closest rival.

This win gave jockey Anthony Allen a riding double on the day.
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BACK-TO-BACK WINS FOR LADY SHOTGUN

The Angela Plumb trained Lady Shotgun made it back-to-back wins when she added a BM58 Handicap (over 1400m) to her honour roll after scoring her Maiden win over 1350m at Doomben in her previous start.

The three-year-old daughter of Star Turn was ridden to victory on both occasions by Michael Cahill.

Lady Shotgun drifted in the betting from $4.60 to $6 but that was just a red herring,

After racing just worse than midfield, surrounded by a pack of runners, until the approach to the home turn, Cahill then proceeded to extract Lady Shotgun from what might have become a dead-end, switching the Plumb trained runner out five wide, importantly into clear air, on straightening.

From there, Cahill asked Lady Shotgun to go through her gears, but in a measured fashion which saw her gradually gain the ascendency and still have enough in hand to ward off any late challenges in what could be called an inch-perfect ride by Cahill.
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Frankie Dettori was at the track on this historic day. See separate story
FRANKIE DETTORI - YOU HAVE GOT TO LOVE HIM!