Racing

Minimalist by the Bare Minimum

In a thrilling three horse tussle it was Minimalist (Shaun Meeres), coming down the outside, that just shaded Crystal Gardens (rails) and Playboy Persona (centre) in the Sky Racing Provincial Championship Series Final (1400m), at Belmont yesterday.

The official margins were a nose, by a nose, and many initially thought Peter Hall’s vigour on the fancied runner-up ($4.80) had prevailed in the very tight finish.

Minimalist ($17) finished with the proverbial wet sail after being 12^th on the turn and Meeres timing was vindicated-just.

Trainer Ivan Haggerty said Minimalist had been a difficult horse to train in his 30 run career that has now yielded three wins, with the last two coming at his last two starts.

“You have to kid to him a bit and it is pleasing that in his last three runs he has started to produce. We work him at home, not at the track, and that plus some farrier work has helped.”

Haggerty said that Belhus syndicator manager Peter Morley had got to the stage of thinking the gelding would have to go before his recent improvement.

Indeed, Morley’s frustration was understandable as it was only six starts ago the gelding was racing at the minor Kojonup track and being ridden by a heavyweight former UK jumps jockey!

Apprentice Jake Casey went from a feather duster to a rooster in successive races, riding Fred Kersley trained gallopers.

In the Ramelius Resources Handicap (2100m), won convincingly by form stayer Tower of Lonhro (Joseph Azzopardi),  Casey had been aboard Ask Me Nicely that the interval race statistics show was third throughout……… but not quite.

Casey attempted to push out at the top of the straight but experienced jockey, Pat Carbery, on Cyber Crime, held his line and Casey was pushed back to last, before recovering to finish third behind the Adam Durrant duo, Tower of Lonhro and Gladstone.

Casey redeemed himself for Kersley, in the next, with North Ridge, third throughout and with a clear run, holding off Top Show by half a length with that galloper finishing well from the rear of the field.

After being runner up in three races Lucy Warwick got the ‘monkey of her back’ with a good ride in the last race for her father, trainer Justin Warwick.

Working across to lead, from the outside barrier, on Brother Patrick ($14), the talented apprentice caught them napping, turning for home, scooting away and giving the others something to catch. They couldn’t.

A drifter in the market, Brother Patrick has shown his penchant for ‘mile’ races, claiming three of them from his last four starts over the 1600-1650m distance.

Peter Knuckey and Simon Miller combined for a winning double with Regal Gleam and First Among Equals, respectively.

Miller expects further wins from the pair.