If you backed last night’s (Friday) feature winner at Alexandra Park – Strike The Gold – to win the Auckland Cup at the same venue on December 31, then rip your ticket up now.
The 5-year-old Bettor’s Delight gelding opened up paying $201 to win the coveted Group One event when the ‘futures odds’ were made public on Friday.
But trainer Franklin Ray Green said Strike The Gold and stablemate Killer Queen, who finished second in race four last night, will do their future racing in Sydney – but still under the Lincoln Farms ownership.
“Even though I nominated Strike The Gold for the Auckland Cup it was a business decision in the end that will force us to withdrawhim from the big race.
“I doubt if they will ever come back home because they are much better handicapped over there. I think Strike The Gold would be a C4 or C5 and Killer Queen a C2. It’s just not worth it racing against the good ones here any more. We would be lucky to get our expenses back,” Green said.
Strike The Gold added another $8,024 to his bank account when winning the $13,000 Total Waterproofing Handicap for the R77 to R104 Pacers.
In fact it was a brilliant front-running drive from David Butcher which ensured Strike The Gold’s one-and-a-quarter length victory over Better B Amazed (25m) and Tony Herlihy (MNZM).
“That was a nice drive from David. He was on the only horse who started off the front and he set such a solid clip that back-markers couldn’t peg him back.
“He’s a lovely horse who has rebounded very well from his problems,” Green said.
There were only four starters in the 2700m standing start event. Strike The Gold was the only pacer off the front and stopped the clock in 3:21.1 (mile rate 1:59.9) with final 800m and 400m sprints of 58.5 and 29.5.
It was Strike The Gold’s sixth career win in 31 starts. He’s also placed six times and won $84,920 in stakes. He paid $6 to win.
“He’s not bad for a horse who has six to eight screws in his legs. He’s recovered well from those fractures and has developed into a nice pacer.
“It will be sad to see them both go but it’s a business decision and we want to do the best by their owners,” said Green.
The duo will race in the Paul Fitzpatrick colours largely at Tabcorp Menangle. Green said there were no specific races that the owners were targeting.
“They just want to win races with them over there and we are sure the Fitzpatricks will do a good job with them both,” Said Green.
Strike The Gold is owned by Lincoln Farms Ltd, D Cotterill, Mrs A Cotterill, and G Cotterill, while six-win pacer Killer Queen is owned by Lincoln Farms Ltd, D James, M J Brereton, K J Bell, S Beckett, I A Middleton, J R Dias, and B P Rabbitt.
They were bred by D G Moore and Kelvin Home Holdings Limited respectively.
Lincoln Farms paid $75,000 to Moore for Strike The Gold at the Australasian Classic Yearling Sale at Karaka, and $30,000 the following year the New Zealand Premier Sale in Christchurch.
“It will be sad to see them go but we always have others to look forward too. Our two 3-year-olds Spring Campaign (third) and Alta Intrigue (seventh) returned from spells tonight and I’m really happy with where they are at.
“They have some nice races ahead of them and I’m also excited about our 2-year-old crop, especially a Bettor's Delight – Castellina Lover (by McArdle) colt named Recco Lover,” Green said.
Duane Ranger