‘Class’ prevails in SA features

[Wandering Eyes]

Victorians celebrated a Group 3 double at Angle Park on Thursday night, as Yahiro Bale produced an incredible come-from-behind performance to win the South Australian Oaks and Deadly Class claimed a thrilling victory in the SA Derby.

Yahiro Bale (Box 5) started $2.50 favourite in the Oaks after a dominant 30.42sec heat victory; however, Daniel Gibbons’ well-documented Group race ‘hoodoo’ looked to have struck again when she missed the start badly.

But the daughter of Feral Franky and Dyna Zesty staged a remarkable recovery, showing great field sense to move into second down the back, setting off in pursuit of leader Melissa Keeping ($16).

Yahiro Bale stormed to the front turning for home and dashed clear, defeating Ava Blazer ($4.40), trained by Jeff Britton, by three lengths in 30.52sec, with Melissa Keeping, prepared by Matt Lanigan, third in a Victorian trifecta.

“I was stoked. I thought she was gone when she missed the start.”

It was Yahiro Bale’s ninth win from 20 starts.

After breaking his feature race curse last month when Quinlan Bale won the Victorian Straight Track Championship, former pro wrestler Gibbons buried his Group jinx in memorable fashion.

“It’s official now!” said a delighted Gibbons on Friday morning, on the road to Sydney with Kelsey Bale for the Million Dollar Chase semi-finals.

“I reckon we’ve had 27 runners in Group races and about ten placings before we’ve been able to win one.

“I was stoked. I thought she was gone when she missed the start.

“When she got into second, I knew she was home. I probably went off a bit early, but I started screaming at my TV and celebrating!

“I was confident she had the ability to win the race, Box 5 was the worry. I couldn’t see her getting the run she needed, so she was going to have to pull off something like she did.”

Victorians dominated the Derby field, supplying six finalists, with Anthony Azzopardi’s Deadly Class (Box 2) the $2.40 favourite, despite being beaten at odds-on in his previous two starts at Angle Park.

Azzopardi was hoping to make amends for Ultimate Magic’s narrow defeat in the 2016 SA Derby.

He appeared set to do just that when his ‘second-stringer’ Salad Dodger ($13) led Deadly Class rounding the first turn.

Deadly Class looked to have the race in his keeping when he loomed up to his kennelmate entering the home straight, before checking off heels and digging deep to defeat fast-finishing Western Australian Columbus Monelli ($12) by a nose in 30.73sec, with Salad Dodger finishing third.

A superbly bred son of Barcia Bale and Elevated, Deadly Class has now won six of his 12 starts, with the Derby his third G3 appearance.

Azzopardi dedicated the victory to late champion Sydney trainer Richard Dean, having attended Dean’s funeral on Wednesday.

“Richard was a dear friend and like a father to me,” said Azzopardi.

“I think he was watching from above and sorted out that trouble for me!

“Everything was going perfectly down the back, but then turning for home I nearly died!

“Deadly Class was going to go inside Salad Dodger and then he switched to the outside and went straight up his backside. He lost four or five lengths, so it was a gutsy effort to get up.

“He gave me a scare, but he got there in the end. Young dogs make mistakes, and he didn’t really seem to handle Angle Park either; I don’t know why because it’s a fantastic track.

“The dog has a lot of ability and I’m hoping this series will be a good learning curve for him.”

Angle Park has proven a happy hunting ground for Azzopardi, previously winning the 2010 National Sprint Championship (Smooth Fancy) and 2017 Adelaide Cup (Raw Ability).

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