Doubtful Sound continues consistent form on synthetic tracks

[Wandering Eyes]

An online purchase of $4700 has turned into more than $63,000 in stakes with synthetic specialist Doubtful Sound (Not A Single Doubt), who played another starring role in Friday’s $32,000 Red Nose Raceday 26 July Rating 65 (1600m) at Riccarton.

The son of Not a Single Doubt began his career in the Cambridge stable of Tony Pike, for whom he won his second start and later finished fourth in the Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m). He was subsequently sold on Gavelhouse.com and moved south to Suzy Gordon at Foxton, for whom he has recorded another three wins from 23 starts.

Doubtful Sound travelled to Riccarton to win a $35,000 race on the synthetic surface in August of last year, and Gordon repeated that trick to great effect on Friday.

Ridden positively by apprentice jockey Liam Kauri, the five-year-old settled on the outside of the front-runner Faytina (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) before moving forward to challenge that rival at the top of the straight.

Doubtful Sound forged clear over the final 200m and crossed the finish line a length and a quarter in front of the strong-finishing Anneliese (NZ) (Vadamos).

“He won it quite easily in the end, which was great to see,” said Gordon, who also shares ownership with Christine and Stuart Parkes, Karen Davis and Pauline and Todd McGuigan.

“I was a little worried going into today, since it was only seven days since his last run at Awapuni. I wondered if two races in a week might be too much for him, but obviously it wasn’t. We’re thrilled with that.”

Doubtful Sound has now had 31 starts for four wins and five placings, with three of those wins coming from just 11 starts on all-weather surfaces.

“He seems to really enjoy the synthetic tracks, and especially that one down at Riccarton,” Gordon said. “I think he prefers it to the Awapuni track because it’s bigger. He’s a big boy and just struggles a little bit to get around a tighter track, so Riccarton suits him well.”

Doubtful Sound is now set to get an opportunity to contest one of the brand-new $100,000 synthetic features that will be run in early August. Riccarton, Awapuni and Cambridge will each host one of the lucrative races, which are open to all horses that have had at least three starts on a New Zealand synthetic track since May of last year.

“I’ll get him back home now and then I think it’s four weeks into those new $100,000 races,” Gordon said. “His three wins on synthetic tracks should mean he’ll make the field.

“The Awapuni race is 1400m and the Riccarton one is only 1200m, which would be too short for him. It might have suited him a bit better if those distances were the other way around, but we might as well have a go at the Awapuni one. He’s already done a great job for a horse that cost us $4700, and a big performance in a race like that would make it even better.”

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