Australian Hurdle/Steeplechase Race Day (Sandown Lakeside) – May 23rd

Ladbrokes Bet Ticker Handicap

(2yo F Handicap - 1200m)

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Winning Horse: Design Artist (AUS)

2yoF Al Maher (Aus) - Year Of The Dragon (Aus)(Pendragon (NZ))
1 starts - 1 wins $27500

 Race Result:

1st: Design Artist (P Stokes/B Allen) - $2.60F

2nd: Cardigan Queen (Maher & Eustace/W Price) - $3.00
3rd: Gracie Turf (D Clover/D Moor) - $101

Winning Time: 1:11.95  Last 600m: N/A

Margins: Neck x 2¾L

Winning Trainer: Phillip Stokes

“I was surprised that she got here (to the races) this early. She looks like she’s going to make a lovely three-year-old. She’ll take a lot out of this. We’ll tip her out now and look forward to the spring.

“In her jump outs she’s been going back and going around them. She was well rehearsed for this. She was left out in front a long way out but toughed it to the line and really happy for the owner in Adelaide, Jack, he selected this filly so he’ll be rapt.

“She’s had those 800 metre trials at Pakenham and it is the sign of a good horse that can hang on and do that and hang on. I think she’s got a future.

“I’m hoping we can stretch her out over a bit longer next time and looking forward to the next prep.

Good enough for spring races: “I think she is. Just look at her, she doesn’t have a clue what she’s doing. She was looking at the grandstands - a lot of upsides.”

Winning Jockey: Ben Allen

“She’s a nice big horse. She’s a big strider. She began a little bit awkwardly but got into it a nice rhythm early. I just had to flow a bit. The one that ended up taking the lead was the one that I didn’t want to be sitting behind. I just let her flow a bit and we were able to work our way off the fence.

“I just let her start building when she straightened up. She got to the front quite early but lengthened quite well. I thought she ran good.

“Her first start, Sandown is a very big track and they’re obviously taught in their trials to find a rail and she was coming down the middle so she had a look around but I thought she looked pretty comfortable.

“She’ll get over further and she’ll definitely improve a lot after today.”