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There were doubles all round at Warwick Farm on Saturday after Dystopia won the $70,000 Schweppes Handicap (1300m) giving trainer Chris Waller, Hugh Bowman and connections, the Ingham family each winning doubles.
Photo by Racing and Sports
The win was given considerable merit with Dystopia clipping a new course record on the Good 3 track stopping the clock at 1.15.26 to beat Impregnable's 2000 time of 1.15.34. The mare's dominance was completed by the 2 1/2L winning margin.
Bowman, who had won earlier in the programme on the impressive juvenile Raceway, had Dystopia out well from barrier three and immediately he tracked up to sit inside the $1.70 favourite Tiger Tees.
Up front O'Crikey sped out to a long lead of 6L passing the 600m. The chasing duo of Dystopia and Tiger Tees were always going to catch O'Crikey, and they reeled in the margin with ease as they went through the turn for the run up the straight.
Tiger Tees had been the strong favourite from the moment TAB Sportsbet's markets opened, even with the heavy weight, but it was not the well-performed four-year-old who sprinted from the 200m, but the five-year-old Redoute's Choice mare inside her.
Showing an excellent turn of foot Dystopia went away from Tiger Tees and she sprinted well to the line. Tiger Tees kept second over Youthful Jack in third, the margin a short neck.
The result turned the tables on the last time Dystopia and Tiger Tees met when the latter won with 1/2L in hand when carrying 57.5kg. The final 600m was covered in 33.66 setting up the new record. Dystopia paid $3.50 on NSW TAB.
Waller and the Ingham's had won the previous race on the card, the Australian Turf Club Handicap Bm75 (2200m), with Republic Lad with their black with cerise cap colours, while Dystopia had their famous all cerise.
“Mr Ingham takes a lot of pride in these winners in these colours and all the family too. To get two wins back to back I am sure he will be very happy,” said Waller.
Waller said that Dystopia had being running well through the spring recording a fourth to Ortensia's listed GH Mumm Stakes win at Flemington on November 3rd and then two second placings.
“She has been a real turnaround this preparation,” he said.
Dystopia will be set for back type racing over the 2012 Sydney Carnival.
“Chris said her best runs were from mid-field so I did not want to be back to far, I wanted to keep in touch with Christian, obviously the short priced favourite,” said Bowman.
“When he handed it up to Blake it changed the complexion of the race all together and I had to throw the plans out the window. Approaching the turn she was just full of running and I could see that Christian was not going as well as maybe I was.
“So I thought I would forget about him and ride for her. She put paid to them quickly and ran through the line. It was a good performance,” he said.
Dystopia is out of the Luskin Star mare Bourgeois and this was her fourth win from 19 starts. With nine placings she has earned stakes of $265,230.
Note: Bowman rode a treble at the meeting winning the James Boag Handicap Bm83 (1600m) on the progressive Rolling Pin (NZ) to continue his excellent recent form. He has now ridden 11 winners since December 17th with his total to-date 39 metropolitan winners.