Campbell makes good impression
WELLINGTON: Wingatuibased apprentice Corey Campbell emerged as one of the stars of the riding ranks during the Grand National carnival at Riccarton Park when he completed his second winning double for the week on Saturday.
Campbell, who has just started his second full season of riding, guided home the Sean Camerontrained Amun Ra in race 3 and in the next race produced a copybook effort on The Man for his employers, Brian and Shane Anderton.
Ironically it was Campbell who denied Amun Ra his own winning double for the week, when the welltravelled Ustinov gelding had to settle for second behind Campbell’s ride What’s Up Alf on the first day of the meeting.
Cameron did not hold that result against Campbell.
‘‘It was a 110% ride by the boy, a great ride.
‘‘He [Amun Ra] hasn’t got good form on this track as they’ve either been hard or very heavy. He just loves the slow tracks and he just pings off them.’’
Campbell made good use of his 3kg claim to settle Amun Ra handy to the speed. Urged to the lead with 300m to run, Amun Ra up was kept up to the mark as Campbell guided the 7yrold to his seventh career victory.
‘‘It’s been an outstanding week and I’m very grateful to get the opportunity to get on some nice horses,’’ the jockey said. Campbell was bullish about his prospects on The Man and so it proved, as they scored by five lengths.
‘‘He [The Man] seems to be getting better as he gets older, and he is a typical Gallant Guru as a bit of age seems to do them good . . .’’, Shane Anderton said..
‘‘We’ll take him home now for a bit of a break and then look at a few races like the Riverton Cup.’’ — NZ Racing Desk