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Key Symbol wins Coleraine Cup

Posted on September 29, 2008, 5:05pm

Consistent Warrnambool performer Key Symbol took his career earnings through the $50,000 barrier with a stylish win in Sunday’s $10,000 Coleraine Cup.

A drifter in betting, Key Symbol ($6-$8) simply packed too many guns for the South East trio of Scenic Scene, Lightning Lilly and Llaynbe who chased the six year old gelding home.

The Bill Wilde trained galloper had been a model of consistency in recent runs with a third at Hamilton, a second at Horsham followed by a fourth at Casterton to subsequent city winner Electric Ernie.

The Mount Gambier galloper Scenic Scene ($3.60-$4-$3.80) was sent out favourite in the feature race and surprised racegoers by attempting to lead all the way.

In the past, Scenic Scene has been known to be slow to leave the barrier, but he jumped brilliantly on Sunday for apprentice Melissa Walters who had no hesitation in taking the gelding to the lead.

Key Symbol always had the drop on Scenic Scene, and effectively had the cup when he surged to the lead at the 200 metre mark.

Lightning Lilly ran home strongly for the minor prize, while the run of the race came from the Millicent galloper Llaynbe (fourth).

The tight, turning Coleraine track was always going to be a problem for Llaynbe who gets back in her races, and the mare made up plenty of ground in the straight at her second run back from a spell.

Easily the best backed runner in the cup was the restricted galloper Ken’s Image ($5-$4.40) who finished fifth and never looked a winning hope.

Training honours on the seven race card went to the much travelled Cranbourne trainer Eric Musgrove with a winning double.

Six weeks after coming out of retirement, Mount Gambier jockey Sean Harrison landed his first winner when the four year old mare Golconi led all the way in the opening event.

On debut at Penola in mid September, Golconi was just pipped at big odds but bookmakers took few risks with the Belinda O’Loughlin trained galloper on Sunday.

Delighted part owner Brian Smith was on hand to cheer the mare home, stating “at one stage I thought Golconi would never see a racecourse as she was silly, young and very immature”.

After a couple of cracks with the whip to keep her mind on the job in the straight, Harrison put the whip away in the shadows of the post as Golconi won with a bit in reserve.

Showimyacross (second) is close to breaking his maiden status after running home well once he obtained a clear passage over the final 80 metres.

Musgrove is best known for training winners over the jumps but found himself in the winner’s stall after the 1000 metre 0-68 handicap.

That was with Petite Briefs who lasted to win by a nose from the fast finishing Secret Seal.
Despite a massive betting drift, Artuzov proved a class above his rivals in the 1800 metre highweight after a clever Steve Pateman ride.

Following two recent seconds at Naracoorte and Penola (the latter when beaten by a nostril), Artuzov was looked upon by many as the star bet of the day in a race of dubious quality.

When the money arrived for the eventual runner-up Elmark ($5-$4.20), Artuzov got out to amazing odds ($2-$3.50) before trimming up to $3.40 at starting time.

Winning trainer Richard Nicholson was a bit worried about the big weight (68 kilograms) for a little horse, but it mattered not as Artuzov strolled home a 4.5 length winner.

Pateman did his homework on the race perfectly, telling Nicholson pre race “they (many of the other cross country jockeys) always go hard in the early stages of flat races, and we’ll settle back in the field and round them up on the home turn”.

Those tactics worked brilliantly as Artuzov settled third last in the middle stages before making the race his own at the top of the straight.

Apprentice Jack Hill teamed up with Pakenham trainer Sharon Cunningham to have success in the 1300 metre maiden with the former New South Wales galloper Ballygoran.

Although Ballygoran had not raced since a fifth at Randwick last December, the gelding was always favourite throughout betting and prevailed by a short neck in a close four way finish.

Musgrove completed his double when the top weight Wheel The Lead won Victoria’s oldest steeplechase, the 151st running of the Great Western Steeplechase.

Considering Wheel The Lead had run placings at Moonee Valley and Pakenham in the past five weeks, the seven year old gelding was at very backable odds when punters opted to make the Paddy Payne trained Beach D’Or favourite.

Wheel The Lead ($3.50-$4.20) was worse than mid field for much of the 3500 metres before jockey Adam Trinder made his winning move at the 600 metre mark.

In the space of 200 metres, Wheel The Lead found himself in front and went on to break the track record by nearly three seconds.

“I’ve been trying to win this race for a while, but my best previous effort was a second” a happy Trinder told the crowd at the race presentation immediately after the event.

It was a blow out for punters in the final race when the rank outsider Zabeel Pirate ($10-$21) had an easy win in the 0-58 handicap.

Trained at Geelong by John Rogers, Zabeel Pirate did win three races in a short space of time here in the South East two years ago, but his last three runs had been over the hurdles, including a win at Casterton in late August.

It was his latest offering, last in a hurdle at Sandown beaten 27 lengths on September 3, that shied punters away from Zabeel Pirate on Sunday, plus he was coming back in distance from 3000 metres to 1400 metres.

The next race meeting in the region is on Caulfield Cup day (October 18) when both the Bordertown and Hamilton clubs will stage non-TAB fixtures.

Ride of the day: Steve Pateman (Artuzov).

Horses to follow: Showimyacross, Llaynbe.

DAVID GILBERT

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