Joseph Pride trained Title has won today’s feature race at Gosford racecourse the Takeover Target Stakes ahead of Jest Crewsin’ in second place and Motspur in third.
Takeover Target’s regular jockey Jay Ford caused a major upset aboard Title in the race named after the sprinting champion at Gosford on Friday.
Ford partnered the Joe Pride-trained Title to a 2-1/4-length victory in the $100,000 Listed Takeover Target Stakes (1200m) as the $1.30 favourite Squamosa weakened badly in the straight to finish seventh.
An initial veterinary check revealed no excuse for the beaten favourite, with jockey Nash Rawiller lost for an explanation, saying the colt ran “well below his best” in the five-length defeat.
“I can’t offer an excuse, he’s a lot better than that,” Rawiller said.
“I thought we were in trouble before straightening and I tried to keep him balanced. We’ll just have to see how he pulls up.”
Squamosa bounced to the front in the feature in his attempt to win back-to-back stakes races after an explosive 4-3/4-length success in the June Stakes at Randwick.
He led until the home turn but Title quickly moved up to Squamosa on straightening and went straight past the three-year-old.
With a 1400m run under his belt, the up-and-coming Title ($26) surged to the line clear of Jest Crewsin’ ($31) with Motspur ($21) another half-length away third.
“It was great for him to come out and win today and it’s a good thrill to win the race named after a horse I partnered throughout his career,” Ford said.
“It’s a great thing for the horse (Takeover Target), as good as he was, to have a race named after him and it’s a nice buzz to win it because he did so much for me.”
Formerly the Pacesetter Stakes, Ford won the race on Takeover Target in 2004 in his first attempt at stakes level before the gelding went on to amass more than $6 million in prizemoney.
Pride’s first Group One winner Red Oog finished third to Takeover Target in the 2004 edition and the trainer was delighted to return and grab victory.
“That was fantastic, it would have been easy to have left him at home today,” Pride said.
“But Squamosa had a tough run in that it was an explosive win first-up, and sometimes when they do that they can be a bit flat second-up.
“I was confident on the corner, he rolled up to him and he’s a tough seasoned horse.
“He had a run over 1400 metres on a bog track last start and was ready for it today.”
Pride will see how the gelding pulls up before deciding whether to back up next Saturday in the Listed Civic Stakes (1400m).
AAP TURF
