By Glenn Davis
Patience was rewarded for master trainer Brian Smith when his star stayer Order Again scored a stunning win in his comeback at Doomben on Saturday.
A one-time Queensland Derby favourite last year, Order Again booked a Sydney spring campaign when he stormed home from last to down Time To Torque by 2-1/4 lengths in the Moda Events Portside Open Handicap (1350m).
Cornrow was third, a further three-quarters of a length away.
Order Again was ruled out of last year’s Queensland Derby with a leg injury and has suffered a series of setbacks in his career ever since.
He has started only twice since winning last year’s Group 3 Grand Prix Stakes and was unlucky on both occasions at Doomben in May and in the Listed Spear Chief at the Sunshine Coast on June 2.
Smith has a huge opinion of the five-year-old and has never given up the battle despite the setbacks and plans to send him to Sydney for the Kingston Town Stakes in September.
Order Again missed the start but quickly recovered and had the race well within his keeping halfway down the straight.
The son of Iffraaj stopped the clock at 1 min 17.69 seconds eclipsing the previous record of 1 min 17.73s set 14 years ago.
“What an unbelievable win against sprinters,” Smith said.
“He showed what he’s capable of and ran good time.
“I wasn’t worried when he missed the start. He’s all class and he’ll have one more run here over 1600 metres in a fortnight before he goes to Sydney.”
Meanwhile video students were cheering after the Rob Heathcote-trained Ingeegoodbe edged out stablemate Ruling Dynasty in the Open Handicap (2050m).
Ingeegoodbe, benefitting from a 1.5kgs claim for apprentice Taylor Marshall, led all the way to edge out Ruling Dynasty by a nose.
Third placegetter I’m Belucci ran a much-improved race only 1-1/4 lengths away.
Ingeegoodbe was coming off a last start eighth to Irish Optimism but was rated unlucky not to win after being trapped on the fence in the straight to go down less than two lengths.
Heathcote is on holidays and watched the race from Italy.
Earlier trainer Kelly Schweida predicted a bright future for Meet Mr Taylor who maintained his unbeaten record in three starts in the Class Three Plate (1050m).
Meet Mr Taylor won is first two starts at Gatton and the Gold Coast before downing Tawfig Boy by a half neck for his first metropolitan success.
“He’s so raw and he’s had three starts now for three wins,” Schweida said.
“He just doesn’t know how to get beaten and he’s still a prep away from his best.
“‘He’s got a lot of ability and he just doesn’t lay down.”
Schweida said Meet Mr Taylor had been a nervous horse all his life and he was considering spelling him.
Racing Queensland webnews August 11