Canon Diablo salutes in comeback for Cole
PHIL COLE, at the secondlast meeting at Fannie Bay for 2017, pulled off possibly the training feat of the year when Canon Diablo scored a memorable comeback win in the $20,500 AVIS Handicap (1200m).
The Darwin conditioner, who purchased the sevenyear-old for $19,000 out of the 2015 Darwin Tried Horse Sale, had not been able to get his charge to the races since February 20 last year.
Prior to that, he had been a star of Top End racing with six wins, a second and a third from just eight starts.
“He had tendon problems and we gave him a long break,” said a delighted Cole, welcoming back his stable star after saluting over 1200m.
“Then when he was scanned, the other leg looked pretty ordinary, so he had a further long spell. We’ve just pottered about with him and (yesterday) made all the time and hard work worthwhile.”
Canon Diablo, a son of Northern Meteor, went straight to the front for jockey Felicia Bergstrand and never looked in danger of defeat.
Carrying 62kg, the gelding hit the line almost three lengths clear of Java ( Gary Clarke), with Craig Conron’s old stager Action Again a game third.
With yesterday’s win, Canon Diablo took his record to 19 starts for nine wins, two seconds and two third placings, and his stakes now stand at just over $113,000.
Phil Crich signed off on his recent Darwin stay by guiding Howdee to victory in the Betfair Exchange Handicap.
Chris Pollard’s consistent son of Exceed and Excel finished strongly over the con- cluding stages to collar Alsoadamas (Carl Spry) and Mighty Tax (Cole) to win by a neck.
Pollard doubled up on the day when Our Bay Roe (jockey Michelle Hagley) went backto-back in the Nautilus Aviation Handicap.
After scoring a narrow win seven days previously, Our Bay Roe fought on too well for a game Niccorossa (Bob Richard), with Puzzled Princess (Tayarn Halter) a fighting third.
Heart of Eden, for Halter, showed tremendous tenacity to hold off She Ra (Cole) and win the Sitzler Handicap.
With Raymond Vigar at his vigorous best, Heart Of Eden, after sharing the lead with She Ra throughout, looked beaten at the 150m mark.
The three-year-old filly climbed off the canvas for a narrow head win.
Fellow three-year-old Rabhaan (Pat Johnston) was an eye-catching third almost three lengths away.
Bengali, aided by a lovely Paul Shiers ride, fought back to score narrowly for Garry Lefoe from Commissar (Cole) in the day’s opener, the Gardens Park Golf Links Handicap.