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Handy galloper Von Krumm held off all comers to stage a mini upset in the $80,000 Panasonic Solutions Stakes, a Class 3 race over 1200m on Sunday.
The Snitzel five-year-old began well from his wide alley to sit outside Lucky Giant (Mohd Firdaus) before going for broke at the top of the straight. With the likes of favourite Divided House (Corey Brown), Red Dawn (John Powell), Poseidon (Benny Woodworth) spread across the track and hot on his heels, Von Krumm ($96) looked under the hammer and ready to yield any second, but he never shirked the fight and kept finding all the way to the line.
Divided House gave her backers hopes when she suddenly found a wide passage presenting itself at the 300m, but did not accelerate as expected, even conceding the runner-up spot to stablemate Poseidon by a short head. The winning time for the 1200m on the Short Course was 1min 10.77secs.
Winning trainer Shane Baertschiger said the gelding that he himself owns might have been a bit overlooked by most, but he always harboured a silent hope, as long as he could be in the first three early.
“I thought he had a chance on the Short Course, though his wide draw was a bit of a worry,” said the Australian handler.
“I told Matty to settle him in third or fourth but he flew the gates and Matty had to get him going early. He is a pretty straightforward horse to ride, anyway.
“Matty knows him very well though he didn’t get a chance to ride him at his last start. He is a very good rider and listens to instructions.”
Kellady, who was bringing up his 15th winner for the year, his 13th for Baertschiger, said Von Krumm was a horse he got along very well with, though he did not fail to highlight an interesting legacy he has inherited from his early bad barrier manners.
“I know him well from Day 1 as I won on him at his first start, but at his second start, he reared in his gate and cut his nostril badly,” said Kellady.
“Till today, you can see his nose has a depression. It’s a pretty unusual crooked nose, but it hasn’t stopped him from being a good horse.
“He’s a horse who cannot work on the main tracks, though, as he hangs in so badly, and that's why I had the whip in the left hand today. He either works on Track 6 for his gallops and Track 4 for canters.
“I had him in a good spot outside the leader and it’s worked out beautifully. I was not too concerned he was one off as he was always travelling on the bit.
“When he gave another kick, I knew he would be right in the finish. I could hear the other horses coming at me in the straight, but he never gave up.”
Von Krumm has now brought his record to two wins and one second from six starts for stakes earnings edging close to the $100,000 mark.