Magic day for Cambridge trainer
Ugo Foscolo proved his Hawke’s Bay Guineas run all wrong at Te Rapa on Monday.
The Zacinto gelding failed at Hastings but redeemed himself in brilliant fashion in the Group II Sarten Memorial (1400m) when he defeated Guineas winner Mongolian Falcon.
It was a good day for Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh after Thee Auld Floozie had won earlier. Ugo Foscolo was a different horse to the one that paraded at Hastings.
In contrast, he was relaxed in the parade and fairly bounced off the ground in his preliminary. He raced accordingly. When caught wide jockey Michael Coleman let him slide to the front and he proved too strong in the battle to the line.
‘‘He was always going to go forward,’’ Marsh said. ‘‘And I loved the way he fought them off. We wanted to take hard luck out of the equation and he travelled beautifully.’’
In reference to his Hastings effort Marsh felt that a month between runs was too long.
‘‘To be fair I got that a bit wrong.’’
Coleman’s initiative was the winning of the race but the experienced rider wasn’t getting carried away.
‘‘He probably needs to be ultrafit to get a mile but he is pretty talented,’’ Coleman said. ‘‘He’s tough but he’s still a work in progress.’’
Chasing Ugo Foscolo home were Donna Logan and Chris Gibbs stablemates Mongolian Falcon and Wyndspelle with fourth placed Royal Fashion the first filly home.
Logan was delighted with her pair who join Ugo Foscolo in the 2000 Guineas next-up.
‘‘Mongolian Falcon went a super race but I thought the run of the race was Wyndspelle,’’ she said.
‘‘With the leader’s bias he made up a big slice of ground - we didn’t want to go hard up front today but they both finished great.’’
Mongolian Falcon ($5) remains 2000 Guineas favourite followed by Hall Of Fame ($6.50), Ugo Foscolo and Heroic Valour ($7). Thee Auld Floozie continued her momentum towards her major goal with an impressive open 1600 win at the meeting.
The Mastercraftsman mare struck winning form over 1400m at her previous start for Marsh and he was pleased to see her continue that ahead of the Group II Coupland’s Bakeries Mile on November 9.
The $230,000 Riccarton feature has been the target and the sevenrace winner is in the right form to make her presence felt in the race.