SPORT Bakslap repays Halter’s efforts Trainer does it again as charge storms home
THE unquestionable training skills of Tayarn Halter were to the fore for the second time in a week when Bakslap stormed home to win the $19,500 Ten Darwin Handicap (1100m) at Fannie Bay yesterday.
Last week, Halter saddled up Mazzaro to win at his first start since 1 August, and she repeated the dose yesterday when Bakslap, having his first raceday outing since Darwin Cup Day (6 August), saluted after a fine ride by Raymond Vigar.
The strong pace was set by Dark Whirlwind (Jarrod Todd), who had a nice break around the home turn and looked set for victory at the 100m mark. But Vigar timed his finishing run to perfection and Bakslap got in the deciding couple of strides to win by a short neck.
Bakslap, formerly trained by Karen Byrnes at Murray Bridge, won on ROANT Cup Day earlier this year and entered the Halter stable in midJuly.
After a couple of unplaced runs, he was spelled and his fine return yesterday augurs well for the coming months.
Divine Red announced himself as a young horse with a future when smashing his rivals for the second-straight week in the Silk Laser Clinics Handicap.
Trained by Gary Clarke and with a fresh Carl Spry in the saddle (he had returned from a three-and a-half week South African family holiday), Divine Red sped to the front from the outset, pursued by Liberty’s Torch, but it was evident on the home turn that his rivals were chasing a memory.
Spry had the luxury of easing his mount down from the 100m mark, but Divine Red still won by three lengths from Joker Poker and Restless, and in a time of 1min4.27sec – 11 seconds quicker than Bakslap.
Was Agona returned to his best form with a hard-fought victory in the Ladbrokes Handicap (1300m).
The four-year-old son of More Than Ready trained by Kerry Petrick travelled just behind the pace set by Marbel Duke, before making his claim in the home stretch.
My Snip, runner-up at three of his last five starts, gained a well-deserved win in the Gardens Park Golf Links Handicap (1200m).
Given an astute ride out in front by Jarrod Todd, the Phil Cole-trained five-year-old had a nice break around the home turn and never looked in danger of defeat.
Tregorik went back-toback when coming from well off a hot pace to win the Farewell Richie Oakford Handicap by a half-length from Caitlyn’s Angel, with one of the pacemakers, Puzzled Princess, holding on to claim third.
The race was something of an anti-climax for Oakford.
On his last day’s riding at Fannie Bay, he had to sit out the race as his mount, Wongur, was a late scratching at the barrier.