DARKTOWN READY TO STRUT HER STUFF AGAIN
A RARE scheduling of a 900m race on a metropolitan Saturday meeting has given flying mare Darktown Strutter the chance to maintain an outstanding run of success.
The Gold Coast has about seven Saturday metropolitan meetings a year and only three of those feature 900m races.
Darktown Strutter is chasing her seventh win from just January 24, 2018 Benchmark 75, 900m December 16, 2017 Class 3, 900m November 25, 2017 Benchmark 65, 900m June 25, 2017 2YO Handicap, 1100m
11 starts in the Garrards Plate (900m) tomorrow.
If statistics mean anything Darktown Strutter is already over the line.
She has won four from four at the Gold Coast, three 2.75 lengths 50.67 1.3 lengths 50.26 4.8 lengths 50.05 2.8 lengths 1:04.2
from three at the track and distance, and both her previous second-up runs. The mare has won six races and never run a minor placing.
But Brisbane trainer Kelly Schweida doesn’t think things are as simple as that. “I have always liked her and she does have a good record but she is up in class and this will be a test for her,” Schweida said.
“One thing is she will get her preferred dry track on Saturday.”
Darktown Strutter is by boom sire I Am Invincible and is a valuable broodmare prospect with Schweida keen to get a stakes win with the four-year-old this season. TWO-TIMES Hollindale Stakes-winning trainer Wayne Hawkes says it’s time the Gold Coast race earns the Group 1 status it deserves.
Speaking at the Gold Coast Turf Club industry awards, the racing heavyweight declared the race should be promoted to the highest racing status.
“It’s a great race and there have been some great horses win it,” Hawkes told the audience on Wednesday night.
“Why not make it a Group 1? Why doesn’t the Gold Coast deserve a Group 1 race?
“Everyone needs a bite of the cherry.”
Hawkes, who has 15 Group 1 wins to his name, won the race with Leebaz in 2015 and 2016 as part of the Hawkes family training partnership.
Leebaz is one of only three horses to have won the weightfor-age event back-to-back.
The others are former