Jury’s in on Court
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Jim Byrne stretches clear to win the Group 2 Champagne Classic with Court (Noel Pascoe photo)
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Court’s career has taken flight after the filly stormed away with the Group 2 XXXX Gold Champagne Stakes 1200m for two-year-olds at City Pacific Doomben on May 17.
Ridden by local hoop Jim Byrne, Court (F2 Anabaa USA-Splish) fought home well after sitting towards the back of the field and travelling wide throughout the 1200m.
It was the filly’s second career start and debut win for trainer Clarry Conners and she showed her true ability by reeling in the field and shooting away to a one and half length win over the fast finishing Captain Fantastic (Damien Oliver). Gold Coast hopeful Cat D’Antibes (Glen Colless) ran home for third finishing a further half head behind.
Conners has now won the race six times with his last winner coming in 2001 with Dolce Veloce. In 1995 he won with Ginzano and then went onto have a string of winners from 1997 to 1999 with Staging, Electrifying and Alpine Express winning the coveted two-year-old race.
“I hope it keeps going,” Conners said of Court’s recent winning ways.
“We just wanted to go back. I just said don’t push her because we’ve got bigger fish to fry than today.
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Trainer Clarry Conners picked up his sixth Champagne Classic (Noel Pascoe photo)
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“We want to win but I want to keep going after this so don’t make a speed horse out of her. Let her settle, get home. I did think she would win it and she won pretty impressively.
“She’s a pretty good filly. Jimmy got off her the other day and said this will win.”
Byrne was confident going into the race after having a hit out on the horse a few days earlier.
“I worked on her Thursday morning and I worked on her in good company and it was quite nice,” Byrne said.
“Clarry did tell me he had a nice opinion of the filly and that she does go quite good and she confirmed that today.
“It was good tempo, I would’ve liked to have been a bit handier. I’ve drawn these bad gates today so it makes it a little bit difficult,” Byrne said of drawing alley 11 and coming in one after a scratching.
QUEENSLAND Racing web news: Claire Power – May 20
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