Go Cart goes the distance
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Ryan Wiggins (right) rides Go Cart to victory at Eagle Farm (Noel Pascoe photo)
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Go Cart proved he is a contender at middle distances winning the Listed Ramsay Health Care Peter Gallagher Stakes Handicap 2144m at Eagle Farm on Saturday, April 25.
It was a two horse race along the straight between the $2.40 race favourite, the Gai Waterhouse-trained Rabbuka (Jim Byrne), and Go Cart (Ryan Wiggins) with both gallopers receiving plenty of encouragement.
Go Cart (G6 Danehill Dancer IRE-Cubicle) held off Rabbuka in the final metres to get to the post first by a short neck.
It was Go Cart’s second race at this extended distance and trainer Steven O’dea was pleased with his charge’s stamina when challenged along the straight.
“I was pretty confident with his chances,” O’dea said. “He’d come through his last run really well where it was a first try over middle distance and he came through that with flying colours, so I was pretty keen.”
“It was a bit more of a hard fought win this time, but he tries very hard and he’s come out on top.
“Every time he goes to the races he puts in 100 per cent and when he finds his form he holds his form. He’s definitely very genuine that’s for sure.”
Jockey Ryan Wiggins has been aboard for the majority of Go Cart’s wins and O’dea credits the partnership between jockey and horse as part of the gelding’s success.
“Ryan’s struck up a pretty good affinity with the horse; he knows him pretty well,” O’dea commented. “There wasn’t a lot to tell Ryan and he rode him pretty similar too the start before and it all worked out.”
O’dea is a part-owner of Go Cart and admits this makes all of his charge’s wins that little bit sweeter.
“It’s nice to get a bigger slice of the cherry when you’re an owner of the horse,” he said. “We celebrate all the wins that’s for sure.”
O’dea will set Go Cart for the Chairman’s Handicap at Doomben in a fortnight, but will look to rest him shortly after.
“He’s had nine starts this preparation already so he’s probably not that far off having a little bit of a break,” O’dea said.
“As long as he’s happy in the stable and he does everything right than we’ll take things race to race and that will probably be his best start.”
From 31 starts, Go Cart’s form stands at 8-5-4-3. He has total prizemoney of $362,350.
QUEENSLAND Racing web news: Phoebe Grealy – April 27
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