The Victoria Derby is the next big assignment for Cranbourne based three year old Soul Patch after a dominant win in the Group 2 $200,000 Drummond Golf Vase (2040m) at The Valley today.
Soul Patch, above, will now head towards the Victoria Derby after winning the Drummond Golf Vase at The Valley. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Bookies at Ladbrokes.com.au were quick to react to Soul Patch’s impressive win and wound his price in from $14 to $4 for the Group 1 $2m AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington next Saturday.
Soul Patch was wearing the blinkers for the first time today on the recommendation of winning jockey Dwayne Dunn after the pair combined for an eighth behind Super Seth in the Group 1 $2m Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 12.
Winning trainer Ken Keys said that Soul Patch had always shown plenty of ability but just needed that extra something to give him a boost.
“That was absolutely fantastic,” Keys said.
“The blinkers obviously switched him on today and the ride and the race just panned out beautiful.”
“With Dwayne on top giving us advice. He can run all the times we wanted and he is a fast horse, but he just wasn’t picking up the bridle quick enough, so we had to do something.”
Keys is still undecided if Soul Patch will wear the blinkers in the Victoria Derby next week.
“We will talk to Dwayne and they may come off next week, but we will have a chat about that,” Keys said.
“He is a nice type of horse.”
Dunn settled Soul Patch ($4.40) in the second half of the field and made a sweeping run around the pack on the home turn before stretching out to score a two and a half lengths win over the filly Moonlight Maid ($4.40).
Damien Oliver’s mount Serious Liaison ($6.50) was just over three lengths away in third spot while the $2.80 favourite Battenburg faded into sixth place.
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