Don Carlo doubles up

Exciting South Island sprinter Don Carlo made it two from two in his summer campaign with a gritty victory at Wingatui on Saturday.

The Per Incanto four-year-old returned from a three month break with a victory over 1000m at Riccarton in February, with trainer Michael Daly warning then that the best hadn’t yet been seen from his charge.

Daly was of the mind that his stable star had made the necessary improvement to be a major factor in Saturday’s (1200m) open sprint and so it proved as Don Carlo outtoughed his rivals to score a narrow but convincing victory.

‘‘He has really come on since Riccarton and I thought if he got the right run he would be awfully hard to beat on Saturday,’’ said the Timaru trainer. ‘‘Once he jumped so well and put himself in the race I was feeling pretty confident.

‘‘He only does enough to win which I guess is what you want as it doesn’t take it out of them so much. They don’t give out any extra prizes for winning by ten lengths, so I’ll take the win anyway it comes.’’

Rider Kylie Williams used the gelding’s barrier speed to put him in the perfect position early in the contest as Jazzman set a torrid speed in front. Asked to quicken by Williams as they swung for home Don Carlo quickly went up outside Jazzman to hold a narrow advantage.

In a furious finish outsider Koxinga burst through the pack to try and chase down Don Carlo but to no avail.

● Courte Zarindi made up for bad luck at her previous start to score an upset win in Saturday’s Listed New Zealand Bloodstock NZB Airfreight Stakes (1400m).

The daughter of Any Suggestion toppled the even money favourite Excelleration to succeed in her black type quest. Excelleration had swept all before on her southern sojourn with Listed wins in the Gore Guineas

(1335m) and the Dunedin Guineas

(1500m).