The Warracknabeal Cup is heading to Lindsay Park, with the Team Hayes-trained galloper Angry Skies ($13) prevailing in a popular result for bookmakers last saturday.
The five-year-old son of Toronado had failed to beat a runner home in two runs this preparation, beaten a total of 22 lengths at Flemington and Geelong, but relished the rise to 1600 metres at Warracknabeal.
Jockey Paul Gatt settled at the tail of proceedings after a slow getaway, watching on as Edenhope Cup winner Dark Harmony ($13) carted the field to the home bend, with race favourite El James ($1.35) in close attendance.
Gatt circled the small field and turned for home within two lengths of the leading pair, straightening up with a full head of steam as local hoop Dean Yendall threw everything at El James to lift the short-priced commodity over the line.
It was to be the less fancied runners fight out the race, however, Angry Skies just getting the upper hand late to win by a head.
Aaron Purcell’s Dark Harmony was game as ever in second, while Symon Wilde was forced to settle for third place with El James, just over half a length from the winner.
Angry Skies has won five times from 28 starts, Saturday’s win taking his career earnings beyond $260,000.
Sugar shines
Stawell trainer Rachel Samsonenko took out the last on the Warracknabeal card, her consistent seven-year-old Sugar And Sweet ($3.60) posting a deserved fifth career win in 0-58 company.
The Deep Field gelding hadn’t won since the corresponding Easter weekend last year, but had placed multiple times in the interim, a frustrating run for connections.
Jockey Jarrod Fry was positive from the 1600-metre chute, settling second, three lengths behind Game Theory ($18), who ensured a strong tempo.
Fry moved up to challenge on the home bend, quickly taking over and opening up a race-winning lead, pulling clear from $3.50 favourite Timeonlees in the closing stages to record a 1½-length win.
Samsonenko was the only Wimmera trainer to prepare a winner at the ’Beal, on a tough day for local connections.
Two to follow
Warracknabeal backed up its race day with a set of official trials on Tuesday, producing a pair of runners to be followed to the races.
Two-year-olds Bad Blood (Tony and Calvin McEvoy) and Romantic Miss (Tom Dabernig) went head-to-head in the fastest 1000-metre heat of the morning (59.25 seconds), with Bad Blood given a little shake-up to prevail by half a length.
Bad Blood was backing up his Donald jumpout win a fortnight earlier and can be followed wherever he makes his debut in the coming weeks.
Romantic Miss remained on the bridle throughout the trial and will likely feature in the two-year-old fillies’ race on day one at Warrnambool this Tuesday.
The daughter of Toronado made a sound debut at Cranbourne three weeks ago and will have surely benefited from the raceday experience.