The Jeffrey Caught trained Fortification ($8) prevailed in a driving finish to take out the TAB Townsville Cup by 0.20 lengths from the game $41 outsider Bering Sea.
The fact that less than a length separated the first four runners across the line … Play Me Now and Unbiased finished third and fourth respectively … indicated just how competitive the finish of Townsville’s signature event was when the action came down to the business end of the affairs.
Fortification, a six-year-old Redoute’s Choice gelding, had won three of his six seven previous starts since transferring to the Caught stable and he went warmed up for the Townsville Cup with a second place finish over 1609m at the Townsville track on July 22.
The Townsville Cup was Fortification’s first attempt beyond the 1609m trip, which he had raced over five previous times, and the way he accelerated coming through the 200m and then stayed on under pressure suggest that this showing over 2000m could open up more option for Caught with Fortification moving forward.
Credit also must go to jockey Scott Sheargold who rode a patient race early on Fortification, having him just worse than midfield for much of the trip and then, when the field bunched up approaching the turn, Sheargold was good enough to plot a path towards the outside, out of trouble, where he first balanced his mount up before starting what turned out to be a winning effort.
The Chris Attard trained Bereng Sea was terrific in defeat doing everything but cause the boilover. It was another great ride by Nathan Thomas, who won the featured Lightning on Temple Run on Friday.
Play Me Now ($13) and Unbiased ($12) gave plenty of cheek and were rewarded with their close-up minor placings.
The $2.90 favourite Hail Manhattan, the Mackay Cup winner, was perfectly poised to strike halfway up the home straight but, under the steadying burden of 61kg, he failed to go with it and weakened to finish in fifth place, 2,30 lengths behind the winner.
No cigar, but still not a bad run as he was giving Fortification, who carried 54kg, a full 7kg.
