Gun reinsman Ricky Duggan was in the thick of the action in all seven races at Carrick on Sunday.
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In most of them he was in the spotlight at the finish – driving four winners, a second and a third – but in the other race his drama came at the start.
Duggan was on $2.10 favourite Laredo Torpedo in the Shaw Property Development Pace but the five-year-old wanted no part of proceedings.
He refused to step from the stand before going into a prolonged gallop which forced Duggan to retire him to the centre of the arena.
The race was won Chief Destroyer who was given a perfect run by Natalee Emery after lobbing in a good spot from his 10m handicap.
After being handily placed in the one-out line, Emery took Chief Destroyer three wide at the 700m and the Shelley Barnes-trained gelding quickly joined the leaders.
He poked his nose in front of pacemaker Black Centurian at the 400m and, although that horse fought back, Chief Destroyer drew clear to score by 4-1/2m.
“The race was run to suit as he had a cushy run in behind them but he went good,” Emery said.
“He’s been knocking at the door but he probably needs things to play his way – he need a bit of cover.”
Trainer Steve Davis, who supplied the runner-up, got a better result earlier in the day with Ima Ginger Rogers in the Launceston Bobcat Hire Stakes.
It came after a classic Ricky Duggan drive, with Ima Ginger Rogers racing one-out, three-back before Duggan got a cart into the race in the three-wide line.
He tracked favourite Streetside Classic into the straight then overhauled him in the closing stages to score by a neck.
That's why you put him on
- Trainer Steve Davis
“That’s why you put him on,” Davis said.
The trainer said that Ima Ginger Rogers was most likely in her last season of racing.
“She’ll probably race for another year before she goes to stud,” Davis said.
“We were nearly going to retire her this year but we’re breeding from too many other mares at the moment.”
Duggan’s other three winners were contrasting odds.
He came from second-last at the bell to win on $23 chance Forever Ours for his brother Adrian; enjoyed a box seat run before scoring on $1.75 favourite Still Hungover for Rodney Ashwood then led all the way on $10 chance Miss Superbia to give Ashwood a double.
The longest-priced winner of the day was Monarkmac who paid $64.30 on the tote.