In Brief
- Hat trick of wins for White Cliffs.
- White Hawk makes amends for Caulfield failure.
- McCoull predicts bright future for White Cliffs.
Longford-based trainer Angela Brakey is now convinced she has a potential star in her midst in the form of talented three-year-old White Cliffs following the gelding’s third win in succession in Launceston on Wednesday night.
White Cliffs entered a benchmark 66 handicap (1420m) on the back of a 1200-metre maiden win and a class one victory (1400m) that were won impressively and by big margins.
While the latest winning margin was considerably less than in the previous two wins, it was still by 1-1/2 lengths over consistent mare Louise with race leader Weekend Whisky a half-length away third.
White Cliffs showed good potential last season but a mishap in the mounting yard led to him being spelled for six months.
But with that behind him, the gelded son of Canford Cliffs is making his mark, so much so that Brakey is considering taking the three-year-old to Victoria on a hit and run mission early next month.
“I’m not one to make decisions straight after a race but it would be tempting to take him to Melbourne while he’s in this form,” Brakey said.
“I’ll wait and see how he pulls up from this run but having a look at him in the mounting yard straight after this win I’d say he will be fine.”
Jockey Brendon McCoull settled the gelding near last and set him a task by starting his run 600 metres out and steered him four-wide without cover to the top of the straight.
Weekend Whisky set up what looked an unbeatable lead but under strong riding from McCoull, White Cliffs dug deep and collared the leader 80 metres from home and then repelled a late bid from Louise that ran home resolutely.
“This is a very good horse and to do what he did to win tonight is testament to his ability,” McCoull said.
White Hawk (Troy See) defeats Kanji in Launceston 2150m last Wednesday night.
“Not much else has made up the sort of ground he did over the last 400 metres tonight.
“He is definitely a horse I’d like to stick with going forward.”
It was the second leg of a winning double for Brakey with White Cliffs’ older half-brother White Hawk (Tough Speed-White Yard) making up for missing a place in a race at Caulfield last Saturday by storming home to win a benchmark 84 handicap over 2150 metres.
With former Singapore rider Troy See aboard, White Hawk settled third off a good tempo set by Kanji and despite being under strong riding 700 metres from home, Brakey’s promising stayer finished powerfully to score by a half-length over Kanji with the favourite Our Declaration ($2.80) over a length away third.
Watch White Cliffs win a benchmark 66 handicap over 1420m in Launceston on Wednesday night.