Peacock gives flashy display in Newmarket
BEAUDESERT is a fair trip from the Cairns Jockey Club so Cairns Newmarket winner Peacock will find a new home at Cannon Park until the Amateurs carnival later in the year.
The Diane Murphy-trained Peacock responded from his flop in last Saturday’s Cleveland Bay at Townsville to snare the feature race of the first day of the Cairns Cup carnival in a lunging finish.
Peacock led from start to finish to win the Rockhampton Newmarket Handicap recently and was expected to again go to the front in the $50,000 Cairns Newmarket.
Instead, Executed, trained by Krystle Johnston, who won the race last year, went to the head of the field for the 1400m trip with Peacock and Australian Provincial Jockey Premiership winner Justin Stanley in the box seat just behind the pace.
Previously a Darley horse, Peacock showed his class to run down Executed in the final few strides and will now chase the $150,000 Sprinters Northern Crown Bonus.
“He left his victory right to the line – Justin timed the ride perfectly,” Murphy said.
“That has been his pattern down south to lead but today it proves with the 60kg weight that he can take a sit if they want to go hard and he can finish over the top of them.”
The Beaudesert-based trainer will return south to tend to the rest of her stable but the five-year-old gelding will stick around for the FNQ Amateurs Open Sprint on September 8.
“We will send up a strapper but the horse will be here,” Murphy said. “I have got things to do back home.”
Peacock was an $80,000 purchase for owner Jack Pakis from the Darley dispersal at the recent Magic Millions National Sale. Saturday’s heartstopping victory by a nose is Peacock’s sixth of his career from 23 starts.
“It was brilliant, I am tickled pink with him,” Murphy said.
“He carried the weight, he sat off them and came home strong, he did not have to lead.
“I could not ask for a better ride from Justin, even if he ran second, it was still a good ride.
“He was patient and showed his class.”
After cracking a ton of winners last season, the Gold Coast-based Stanley has started the new season with a bang.
He recorded a double at Cairns on Saturday, piloting Snowy Moet to a stylish victory earlier in the day before Peacock’s win.