Daunting Lad toughs it out
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Daunting Lad (pink and blue colours) fights hard in the final few strides to snatch the win Stolit (Noel Pascoe photos)
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Daunting Lad stood well against a tough battle in the final few strides of the John Holland Handicap 1200m at City Pacific Doomben on Saturday.
Trained by Bill Naoum, Daunting Lad (H6 Latarmiss-New Day Dawning) hit the line with Stolit (Andrew Spinks) who was making a run down the rails. Unfortunately for Stolit, he came up short by a nose. Atapi (Glen Colless) flew home for third place a further neck away.
Jockey Michael Palmer drove Daunting Lad out of the barrier three to hit the front, eventually sitting behind early leader Noble Gaze.
“That was the plan otherwise he would have been trapped three deep so the idea was to kick up and let the other one go to the lead and get a sit on it. It worked out well but he had to do it tough,” Naoum said.
“Stolit had headed him (Daunting Lad) and then he came back in the last five strides. With the rail being out so wide I wasn’t over confident but being on the outside with the rail out so far I thought we had a better chance. The photo went our way which was fortunate.”
It has been some time between wins for Daunting Lad who recorded his previous victory back in April 2006.
“In his three previous runs in his last preparation he had a few minor problems in his throat and that’s why he ran unplaced so many times,” Naoum said.
Although he had a few unplaced run
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Winning trainer Bill Naoum
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s last preparation, Daunting Lad did run second in three listed races and his return to the track this time round looks promising.
“His first up run behind Devil Inside was very good. He was a bit unlucky,” he said.
“He will definitely stay in for the Winter Carnival and I might even take him to Sydney for a few of those Group races. If he can win one more up here I’ll take him down and have another crack at a Group 1 race.”
QUEENSLAND Racing web news: Claire Power – February 11
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