A tough performance from favourite Paximadia has continued Darley’s dominance of the Group Two Sandown Guineas in what could be the colt’s Australian swansong race.
Paximadia gave trainer Peter Snowden and jockey Kerrin McEvoy their fourth Sandown Guineas win in the past six years, as he called on his class and toughness to get the better of Equator.
Paximadia winning the Sandown Guineas - Photo by Steven Dowden
A game plan to make the pace or sit outside the leader was almost thwarted when Paximadia ($3.40) was slow into stride.
But McEvoy quickly urged the colt forward to be in the clear outside Equator.
McEvoy was concerned at the 600m as Nash Rawiller tried for an all-the-way win on Equator ($4.80), but Paximadia’s quality shone through late.
He raced clear by 1-1/4 lengths with well-backed Apollo’s Choice ($4) three-quarters of a length away third.
Paximadia is among several horses in line to join owner Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin team in the northern hemisphere.
Snowden said he would know more about the colt’s future over the next few days.
“We’ll probably get a phone call tonight. He’ll make a name for himself over there as well,” Snowden said.
Paximadia made it a clean sweep of the three Guineas races held at Caulfield this spring for Darley after Long John won the Group One Caulfield Guineas and Guelph claimed the Group One Thousand Guineas for fillies.
He joined Tatra (2012), Kidnapped (2009) and Caymans (2008) as Sandown Guineas winners for the Snowden-McEvoy combination.
“It’s a race we target with the right sort of horse and we thought all along this was the right level for this bloke,” Snowden said.
“I’m sure he’ll get further but it’s job done today and it’s a great result.
Rawiller said Equator was gallant in defeat while Brad Rawiller believes third-placed Apollo’s Choice will return a better horse next campaign.
The meeting was run at Caulfield this year with Sandown undergoing a track renovation.
In the day’s other feature, Sertorius proved himself as a stayer on the rise with a convincing victory in the weight-for-age Group Two Zipping Classic (2400m).
