Sunshine Coast trainer David Peoples is sweating on underrated gelding Playaction earning a start in the Magic Millions Stayers Cup after he scored a well-deserved win at Doomben on Saturday.
Peoples aimed Playaction at the Gold Coast feature after the horse’s luckless winter carnival campaign which included a fourth to Fillydelphia in the Rough Habit Plate and sixth to Turnitup in the Grand Prix.
“He should have almost beaten Fillydelphia – he was held up for 150 metres in the straight and flew home when he got out,” Peoples said.
“I’m hoping that win will be enough to get him into the Stayers Cup – he’s borderline at the moment but the race doesn’t usually attract a big field.”
Playaction ($5) enjoyed the run of the race in a dawdling affair and sprinted quickly in the straight to beat Hidden Kisses ($4.20) by 2-1/4 lengths with Shadow Buster ($12) a short neck back third.
The clock told the tale of the race with the final 400m sectional of 22.49 seconds making it impossible for the backmarkers to get into the race.
Meanwhile, enigmatic Gold Coast sprinter Audacious Spirit is heading to the paddock in preparation for a winter carnival campaign after a slashing all-the-way win in the www.brc.com.au Handicap (1200m).
Audacious Spirit has always displayed plenty of potential and finally delivered when he scored by 2-1/4 lengths and recorded an impressive 1:09.32.
Trainer Gillian Heinrich said she had never lost faith in Audacious Spirit and was confident he was up to winning a good-class race during the winter carnival.
Winning rider Glen Colless agreed and said Audacious Spirit sprinted liked a good horse when asked for an effort.
“He really let down and flattened out in the straight,” Colless said.
“There’s a good race in him for sure.”
AAP TURF
