BAGDAD owner-trainer Matthew Dwyer is hoping The Majority’s win in the $10,000 Doug Martin Danbury Park Cup at Mowbray on Sunday night will be the launching pad for a successful summer.
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Dwyer has his sights on the Hobart Pacing Cup and Devonport Cup, both long-distance races that will play to The Majority’s great strength – his staying ability.
‘‘The horse is starting to get a bit of his speed back now, but he’s always been able to stay, so the 3000 metres of the Devonport Cup will suit him perfectly,’’ Dwyer said. ‘‘And he likes standing starts because he’s a very good beginner.’’
The Majority, driven by the in-form Mark Yole, faced the breeze for most of the 2698m before outstaying his Danbury Park Cup rivals.
He joined leader Truly Blissfull on the home turn, then established a break before comfortably holding out late challenges from the favourite, Outback Mach and rank outsider Call The Marshall.
Dwyer races The Majority, who started at $14.20, with his wife Lauren, and the gelding has now won 11 races and almost $75,000.
Yole made it a race-to-race double when Happy Schnapps ($4.50) demolished his rivals by more than 20m in the Lu Raider Stakes.
Well-backed polemarker Vinnie Toretto was a late scratching after causing two false starts.
Five in row
BRIDPORT trainer Grant Hodges has long-term Melbourne plans for Wingatui Dew, who made it five-straight wins in the Betty Lee Stakes.
The Victorian-owned gelding had to do it the hard way as driver Erin Hollaway had no option but to race outside another in-form horse in Licinia.
However, Wingatui Dew was still good enough to draw clear in the last 100m and score by more than a length.
Hodges said the five-year-old’s owners had paid big money for him in New Zealand as a tried horse.
‘‘They sent him to Sydney but he wasn’t good enough to run at the main meetings and ended up at the midweeks,’’ Hodges said.
‘‘They were also having difficulty keeping the weight on him.
‘‘So since he’s been here, I’ve kept him fresh and tried to space his runs.’’
Wingatui Dew is now a C4-class horse and Hodges expects him to reach open company.
‘‘The idea is to get him to that level here, then take him back to Melbourne to try to win an MO race,’’ the trainer said.
Tyred out
FAVOURITE-BACKERS did their money cold in the opening race when $1.50 favourite Spitfire Rose had to be pulled up in the early stages after losing a sulky tyre.
This left the way clear for Nathan Ford-trained mare Our Maddys Star ($7.50) to lead all the way for driver Sam Rawnsley, scoring in a three-way photo-finish from Karalta Dazzler ($31) and My Greek Mate ($12).
Our Maddys Star, who rated 1:59.8 on a fast track, has won three races since joining the Ford stable from Victoria.
Punters fared better in the second event when Gareth Rattray got $3.50 favourite Stingofascorpion home by a metre from the fast-finishing Bertils Bliss ($9.80).
Rattray worked forward to sit outside the leader with a lap to go, and the Kate Macleod-trained mare broke through at her fifth run since a spell in a mile rate of 2:00.1.
Rohan Hadley made up for his bad luck with Spitfire Rose when he drove $2.60 favourite Olivers Mate to a strong win in the Logan Derby Stakes.
After moving three wide going into the back straight, Hadley allowed Olivers Mate to stride alongside leader Cemento Rapido with about 500m to go.
Hadley looked to be driving confidently on the home turn but had to get busy on Olivers Mate in the straight as Cemento Rapido fought back strongly before going down by a neck.