A long-range plan has come off for the connections of consistent galloper Dash for Viz who landed the annual race for grey horses at Flemington.
A feature of the Oaks day meeting, the race is a great spectacle and it was no different on Thursday as the Dash For Cash five-year-old defied an alarming betting drift from $5.50 to $9 to win the TCL Electronics Plate (1400m).
Ridden by Craig Newitt, the Robbie Griffiths-trained Dash For Viz was never going to lose and romped home three lengths ahead of Chosen To Fly ($8) with Emboldened, who was backed from $12 to $8, a head away third.
“We had our hearts set on this race,” Griffiths said.
“You you can only place your horses to their strengths and his strength was this race.
“He’d had a run at 1400 metres last preparation and was good, and he is a progressive horse so we wanted to come here.”
Dash For Viz started his racing career a year ago and has been as frustrating as he has been fun for his connections.
Thursday’s race was his 14th start and his fourth win but he has also finished second eight times and third once.
He was on the weight limit of 53kg after finishing second at his last start at Sale but Newitt was always confident the gelding would win at Flemington.
“We knew we had the right horse here today,” Newitt said.
“Barrier one was always going to be a bit sticky because he gets back but he was on song and was never going to lose.”
Griffiths said the win was particularly special as he trained Dash For Viz’s dam Miss Academic and the gelding’s owners had been among his first clients when he started training more than 20 years ago.
“It is just sensational to be standing here today at the four-day carnival at Flemington,” Griffiths said.
“He (Dash For Viz) has always been soft-boned and shin-sore a lot, and that’s why he didn’t race as a young horse,” Griffiths said.
He said no plans had been made beyond Thursday and may now even spell Dash For Viz.
“He’s versatile in that he handles the heavy and he can handle firm tracks as well,” Griffiths said.
AAP TURF
