There was a rousing finish to the $500 000 Amelia Park-Karrakatta Plate at Ascot, at Group 2 level, where the Steve Wolf trained Ex Sport Man prevailed in a three-way battle which saw only 0.30 lengths cover the placegetters across the line.
Spin the Knife ($12) had stretched the field out early, but by the time things got serious inside the final 250m Flying Missile ($7) had made an early break for home with Pat’s Got Sass (the $5.50 Neds favourite) putting herself right in contention along with Liwa ($14), who was cramped for galloping room trying to plot a path between runners.
Then there was Ex Sport Man, accelerating down the centre of the track, who arrived quickly to join the battle for the $295 000 first prize.
With Liwa, who had found the way out, Pat’s Got Sass and Ex Sport Man spread in a line across the track at the 100m mark, it was there for any of the three of them to win.
Liwa edged narrowly ahead of Pat’s Got Sass and looked like she might just do enough, but Ex Sport Man put in a winning stride on the line to claim a last gasp victory by 0.10 lengths.
Ex Sport Man, who was ridden by Troy Turner, was having her fifth career start.
The son of Playing God finished runner-up in his first two starts before being given a freshen up.
He then returned a winner in the Magic Millions WA Two-Year-Old Classic at Pinjarra and was then spelled, coming back to finish sixth when resuming in the Listed Perth Stakes on March 20, as a warmup to his latest, biggest victory.
Liwa’s career win came in the Listed Supremacy so she was franking her credentials here while Pat’s Got Sass now has a Group 3 and a Group 2 placing to her credit in her last two starts.
