JASON Deamer has a couple of options with talented mare Rapt, who now boasts a city success.
Intelligently ridden by Tim Clark at Royal Randwick on Saturday, Rapt ($3.60 favorite) convincingly took the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1600m) to post her fourth career win – and third from her last four starts.
Clark put the four-year-old daughter of More Than Ready into the race at the right time from back in the field, and she warmed up strongly in the straight to defeat last start winners Dr Evil ($9.50) and Jacob’s Time ($11).
The Newcastle trainer has both the Belle of the Turf Stakes (1600m) and The Wave (1800m) to consider in coming weeks for Rapt’s next appearance.
The $300,000 Group 3 Belle of the Turf for fillies and mares will be run at Wyong (transferred from Gosford) on December 31, and $500,000 Magic Millions The Wave at the Gold Coast on January 4.
The former will be run under Quality conditions, whilst The Wave is at weight-for-age for three-year-olds and upwards.
“Rapt has pulled up well, and we will probably nominate for both races and see how they shape up,” Deamer said on Sunday morning.
“Being a Magic Millions horse, Rapt is eligible for The Wave, but it isn’t going to be an easy race to win given the conditions.”
A $130,000 purchase at the Magic Millions yearling sale at the Gold Coast in 2022, Rapt has also been placed on six occasions and earned prizemoney of nearly $220,000.
She was an acceptor for three races at the Randwick meeting, and connections wisely chose the Midway Benchmark 72 to enable her to break through in town.
Deamer changed gear with Rapt in June, removing blinkers and replacing them with winkers.
“Rapt was sitting up third and fourth in her races, but not finishing off,” he explained.
“We decided to ride her in a quieter manner, and she has certainly responded.”
The move was made after Rapt ran fifth of eight in a 3YO Benchmark 64 Handicap (1250m) at Canterbury on June 10 on a heavy track.
She then was narrowly beaten in a Provincial Class 1 Handicap (1400m) at Newcastle on June 22 before winning both a similar race at Scone over 1600m on July 2 and the Grafton Guineas over the same distance 15 days later.
Deamer spelled the mare after Grafton and she went into the Randwick event on the back of an excellent fourth to Danny’s St Darci in the Listed Just Now (1300m) at Eagle Farm on December 7.
Fellow Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle also was successful at Randwick, clinching a city breakthrough with Churchill’s Choice and maintaining her unbeaten record in the process.
Ridden by Rachel King, the three-year-old filly followed wins at Scone and Newcastle by defeating Fiddlers Green ($6.50) and Bright Red ($3.70 favorite) in the Benchmark 72 Handicap (1600m).
Doyle afterwards said he intended to give Churchill’s Choice a break, and is hoping she can develop into a Queensland Oaks (2200m) contender in winter.
Doyle, who has another unbeaten three-year-old Private Harry heading to the Gold Coast for the $3m Magic Millions Sunlight (1100m) on January 4, also had a Canterbury winner on Friday night.
Salisano ($4.80), ridden by apprentice Braith Nock, landed the Benchmark 72 Handicap (1200m) first-up from a spell.
. Fellow Newcastle trainer Kris Lees wasn’t a Randwick winner, but it was a different story north of the border.
He won two races – with Crickets Chirping ($9.50) and import Lord Of Biscay ($4 favorite) at Friday night’s opening night meeting at the Gold Coast – and backed up at Eagle Farm yesterday by also scoring with Irish import Zaphod ($2.70) in the Class 3 Plate (1820m).
Lees’ main Queensland jockey Andrew Mallyon was aboard all three winners.
Story John Curtis, December 22, 2024 - Pics Bradley Photos
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