A GELDING initially purchased with the aim to win the Swan Hill Cup has stunned her rivals to claim Kerang’s biggest horse race.
Corporate Takeover outran pre-race favourite Blue Jangles to win the $11,000 cluBarham Kerang Cup, held on Saturday in one of the largest race crowds seen at Alexandra Park in a number of years.
The Austin Coffey-trained six-year-old gelding spent the majority of the race in the top three, trailing Blue Jangles by no more than two lengths, throughout the first 1600 metres, before jockey Lachlan King made his move in the home straight.
The eventual winner overran Blue Jangles – who led from the start – by a neck in the 1800-metre feature, with fellow pre-race hope, Free Willy a further four and three-quarter lengths back.
“Austin said to Lachlan to stay on the back of (Blue Jangles jockey, Mark) Pegus and you’ll be right,” one of the successful owners, Tony Pattison said.
“We bought her a couple of years ago to win the Swan Hill Cup with, but the Kerang Cup is the next best thing.
“Austin brought her here today in tip top condition.”
The win – Corporate Takeover’s sixth from 47 starts – was King’s first cup success, with the day ending with the jockey also winning the final race of the day, the 1800-metre J & M Chaser Bins BM58 Handicap, with four-year-old gelding, Super Rockstar.
“I would like to thank Austin for supporting me during my short career,” he said.
In a day that saw trainers from outside the region claim wins, Kerang-based trainer, Jarrod Robinson produced the best local effort, with his five-year-old mare, Shinady finishing second in the last race of the day.
Other winners during the Kerang Turf Club’s final meet of the 2016/17 season were four-year-old gelding, Special Feeling in the 1100-metre G & L Concreting Maiden Plate; three-year-old gelding, Borrowdale Boy in the 1400-metre McKnight & Bray Building Design Maiden Plate; six-year-old mare, Catchesis in the 1400-metre Walkers IGA Kerang BM58 Handicap; nine-year-old gelding, Coroico in the 1100-metre Gannawarra Shire Council BM52 Handicap; and eight-year-old gelding, Tennessee Lad in the 1100-metre Halls Home Hardware BM64 Handicap.
