Victory provides early birthday present
THE horse was in good form, but Senior Council’s victory in the $50,000 Million Dollar F Fish Buntine Handicap (1 (1900m) at Fannie Bay yeste terday was still considered a an upset. It was a strange scenario, b but the bottom line is that John Jo Peacock’s seven-yearold o gelding (Raymond Vigar) V has secured a start in th the $200,000 Carlton Mid Darwin D Cup (2000m) on August 6. It was also an early birthday present for the Murray Bridge trainer, who turns 71 tomorrow. Senior Council has had in- jury concerns, highlighted by a dramatic incident at Morphettville in January last year which saw jockey Josh Cartwright receive an 18-month suspension, but he is fit and is clearly back to his best.
After failing to fire a shot during the recent Alice Springs Cup Carnival, Senior Council has clicked into gear since returning to the Top End for the fourth occasion.
Before yesterday, he had not finished unplaced in four starts and that included victory in the Ladbrokes 0-76 Handicap (1600m) as a $31 outsider with Melanie Tyndall in the saddle.
Yesterday was his eighth career win. The bookies have been lenient with Senior Council of late, but not in the Buntine – one of the major Darwin Cup lead-up races.
Starting at $9, he was lining up for his 57th career and sat behind leaders Saturday Sorcerer (Vanessa Arnott) and Lotion (Brendon Davis) once the field settled after leaving the home straight for the first time.
Craig Conron’s in-form $3.90 hope I Am The Fox (Jason Lyon) and Michael Hickmott’s $3 favourite Adatto (Bobby El-Issa) then made their moves.
Senior Council, who never left the fence, bided his time before getting on the outside of Jason Manning’s Saturday Sorcerer ($11) once entering the home straight.
Angela Forster’s Lotion ($17) and I Am The Fox wouldn’t go away, but they could only fill the minor placings once Senior Council saw daylight to seal victory by a length.
“He has been racing well and was always going to get the distance today,” Peacock said of Senior Council.
“Adding a tongue tie has done the trick since he got to Darwin, but we’ve had to be patient with him as he has had plenty of issues in the past 18 months.”
Peacock said it was great for him to get a run in the Cup.