Karlsruhe won the 2009 Centyral Goldfields Shire Maryborough Gold Cup Photo by Gary Wild
Karlsruhe crept past $200,000 in earnings when he stormed over his rivals to win Monday's $25,000 Central Goldfields Shire Maryborough Gold Cup.
The $16,875 the David Aiken-trained seven-year-old collected for comfortably disposing of an even field in the 2690-metre standing start event for the 18th win of his 88-start career lifted his total winnings to $200,963.
The milestone wasn’t lost on part-owner Bill Phelan, who said the Holmes Hanover gelding had done well just to make the racetrack after being orphaned when his dam Sugar Shot died while giving birth.
“We’re very lucky to have him,” said Phelan, who also owned Sugar Shot in partnership with his co-owner in Karlsruhe, Richard Trumino.
“Fortunately the foster mother system worked, but then after that he was a very, very sick yearling. A lot of work went into him and there was a stage there where we didn’t think he’d make a racehorse at all.”
The win carried extra significance for Melbourne-based Phelan, a Maryborough native whose father Bill also owned a Maryborough Gold Cup winner.
“I collected the trophy when Percy Glenfern won it for my father back in 1971, so this has made for a lovely day,” Phelan recalled. “It’s fantastic to come back to the old home town and get the cup again.”
Phelan can thank a patient drive by leading reinswoman Jodi Quinlan for collecting the cup for a second time.
After a steady getaway from the outside of the five-horse 10-metre line, Karlsruhe settled in second-last position before Quinlan hitched a ride on Wideford Hill’s back when that horse started a three-wide move soon after getting the bell during a 62.5-second first half of the last mile.
The tempo increased to 29.3 secs for the third quarter and it was not long after that Chris Alford served it up to leader Trojan Luck aboard Few Good Men and surged to the front rounding the home bend.
Few Good Men turned with a decisive advantage, but Karlsruhe didn’t warm up until being hooked four wide by Quinlan just before straightening.
The $3.80 favourite assumed the lead inside the final 100m and pulled away for a three-metre win over Few Good Men ($8.40) in a slick 26.9-second final section, which led to a 2:01.8 mile rate.
Deanna Troy ($9.60) made good ground from the rear to grab third placing, 1-1/2m astern Few Good Men, while Thats Mister Ali ($12) finished hard along the inside to grab fourth placing after being held up rounding the home bend.
“Jodi was a little concerned that from back there she wouldn’t get a cart into the race, but fortunately she did,” Phelan said.
“She said he looked like he was struggling rounding the turn, but when she pulled him out he just said ‘let’s go’. They don’t run much quicker than 26.9 (seconds) for the last quarter.”
Karlsruhe will now back up in Friday night’s $50,000 Group 2 Caravan Industry Vic The Legends at Tabcorp Park, Melton, where he has drawn barrier one in a field containing star six-year-old Melpark Major.