The San Domenico Stakes has tossed up a boilover result with unheralded colt Sweet Ride storming to a surprise victory as several highly fancied rivals turned in mixed performances behind him.
Golden Slipper runner-up Best Of Bordeaux failed to show his customary speed out of the gates and finished fifth, previously unbeaten Queensland Nettuno was terrific in running second, while Spacewalk was again wayward in the straight, making late headway for fourth.
But the race belonged to the Annabel Neasham-trained Sweet Ride ($31), who finished hard down the centre of the track for Chad Schofield to deny Nettuno ($6) by 1-1/2 lengths with the winner’s stablemate Swiss Exile ($15) another head away third.
While Sweet Ride snuck under the guard of punters, his performance came as no shock to Neasham who felt his race fitness was telling as he went into the San Domenico Stakes (1100m) third-up while many of his rivals were resuming.
“First-up this preparation he was disappointing, but he has got better and better each time and we haven’t missed him at home, we’ve put a lot of work into him,” Neasham said.
“He was the fittest horse here today.
“I was amazed at his price to be honest. I thought his run the other day was very good, he (accidentally) took a towel around with him as well.”
Neasham was also rapt with the return of Swiss Exile and says he will face a rematch with his barn mate in The Run To The Rose (1200m) in two weeks.
While she has earmarked Swiss Exile as a potential Golden Rose (1400m) prospect, she feels Sweet Ride might be too brilliant for that race and could instead head to Melbourne for the Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m).
“The other horse is fit and has gone terrific but Swiss Exile, he has gone super. He has beaten a lot of very good colts there,” Neasham said.
Tony Gollan was happy with the performance of Nettuno, who was making his Sydney debut.
“It is obviously his first time away from home so it’s a pretty big week for him,” Gollan said.
“He settled well, he handled it well and ran like a horse that is going to improve going into a race like The Run To The Rose in a fortnight.”
Best Of Bordeaux started a $1.90 favourite and James Mcdonald said he had excuses after he copped a bump coming out of the gates.
“He was just a little bit ring rusty in the first part of the straight,” McDonald said.
“It was a pass mark.”