This doesn’t happen often!
The Beaudesert based trainer Kenneth Deacon certainly didn’t leave Eagle Farm yesterday wondering what he would do next with his then thirty-five start maiden San Bernardino.
The six-year-old gelding had finished a distant 10.75 lengths behind Fiorente Star at Eagle Farm in a Maiden Plate over 1400m … but, as he left the track, the Al Maher gelding also held an entry for Ipswich today just twenty-four hours later.
One reason why Deacon might have decided to take up that option to back up so quickly at Ipswich is that San Bernardino had run a place in successive starts at Ipswich prior to that latest Eagle Farm run … finishing second over 1700m and third over 1660m.
He would thus be back at a track where he had produced his best results in recent times over a distance which he had coped with well on those occasions, so the step up in distance from the 1400m at Eagle Farm on Wednesday to the 1680m at Ipswich on Thursday held no fears for the stable.
Deacon didn’t blink.
So, San Bernardino duly faced seven rivals at Ipswich.
At Eagle Farm San Bernardino was well enough away he remained relatively in touch with the leader until the field straightened for home and a gap closed in front of him. That would not have made much difference to the outcome as San Bernardino was never going well enough in the straight to be a contender … but it was quite a different story at Ipswich.
Again, San Bernardino jumped well. He then settled in third down the back straight, was up to second in the approach to the turn before striding up into a narrow lead on straightening.
A wall of horses seemed set to pounce behind him but, this time, San Bernardino just kept on kicking … and kicking … to the point where it became clear that those closest to him were not going to bridge the gap.
It was left to Spiritual to give San Bernardino a late scare when arriving late, with a flourish, coming from way back … but he arrived a stride too late to deny San Bernardino, who prevailed to, at last, shed his Maiden ticket.
Credit Brooke Ainsworth for riding the gelding like he was the best horse in the race. It was a super confident ride.
Credit Kenneth Deacon too for making a choice that seldom comes into play.
In essence both Deacon and Ainsworth opted to make a brave decision and they were rewarded for believing in the fact that the outcome they wanted … which would have appeared against the odds going into the race … was achievable.
