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Bold frontrunner Southern Boss made it pillar-to-post to score a gutsy win in the $100,000 Open Benchmark 83 race over 1000m on Polytrack on Sunday.
Well ridden by apprentice jockey Joseph See, the Bletchley Park five-year-old had to fend off the pesky presence of Sand Lane (John Powell) and Gato Negro (Oscar Chavez) first before then repelling a late challenge from $12 favourite Peace No War (Nooresh Juglall) to hit the line first by three parts of a length.
The resuming Got Luck (Danny Beasley) sat last in the small five-horse field before motoring home for third along the rails, another half-a-length away. The winning time was 59.22 seconds for the 1000m dash.
See said he had tweaked around his riding tactics after he got rolled twice at his last two rides aboard Southern Boss.
“I went into the race with a change of strategy. I let him roll forward too much last time,” said the in-form Perth-trained apprentice who was at his second weekend win having scored on Friday aboard Accomplished.
“Today I told myself I will let the other guys join me and I will only let him roll at the 400m.
“That was how Peace No War beat me two runs back, but I got him this time.”
The Michael Freedman-trained sprinter indeed looked like he would have the measure of Southern Boss ($14) when he came off a soft run in fourth spot stalking the speed, but could not quite peg back Desmond Koh’s valiant frontrunner.
The Singaporean conditioner, who was incidentally tasting his 400th career success, said Southern Boss was a speedball with great ability and who goes well fresh.
“He likes to run very fresh. We gave him a short break and he was jumping out of his skin,” said Koh.
“Joe rated him perfectly in front and turning for home, I could see he still had a lapful under him.
“400 is a good number to reach. I’ve had some good horses in my career and I’m grateful to my owners for their support over the years.”
Southern Boss has now brought his handy record to eight wins and six placings from 23 starts for stakes earnings inching close to the $400,000 mark for the Southern Stable.