By Paul Pickering
DARREN McDonald’s quest for an elusive Sandown Cup trophy was thwarted by a stunning sibling quinella last Thursday night.
The Cranbourne trainer’s Cup hope Bye Bye Bones was outclassed by interstate raiders Chinatown Lad and Fallen Zorra, as the Tasmanian littermates went one-two in the Group 1 stayers’ showcase.
Chinatown Lad ($2.30 favourite) burst out of box two and led all the way to record a sizzling time of 42.14 seconds – the second fastest in Sandown Cup history – and deliver trainer Shane Whitney his maiden Group 1 victory.
Meanwhile, his little sister, Fallen Zorro ($5.20), chased down Bye Bye Bones ($7) in the shadows of the post to complete the quinella.
The Tassie hounds provided the headline act on an eventful night at Sandown Park, with popular victories to sentimental favourites Sky Hazzard and Shanlyn Prince capping a quality undercard.
Whitney, who has been a prolific race-winner around the country, showed no hesitation in hailing the Cup triumph as the finest moment of his career.
“It’s definitely the biggest win I’ve ever had,” he said.
“I’ve won a few big races and run a few seconds in Group 1’s, but this is the one. I’m absolutely thrilled to bits.”
Whitney’s superstar pairing is the product of a lucrative five-hound litter – by Lilli Pilli Lad and out of Chinatown Babe – that has now scored more than 40 wins around Australia.
He said the siblings got along famously, travelling around together in the back of his ute.
“He likes to be the boss a bit this bloke,” Whitney said, walking Chinatown Lad back to the kennel after the race.
“He’s a bit cheeky. But she’s as placid as anything, you can take her (Fallen Zorro) anywhere and it wouldn’t bother her.”
Whitney is now looking forward to returning to Sandown Park for the Group 2 McKenna Memorial next month.
While the Sandown Cup will always conjure fond memories for Whitney, that is not the case for 80-year-old Glenroy trainer Don Hazzard.
In a much-publicised gaff, Hazzard caused last year’s Cup to be abandoned after he accidentally pulled the starter’s lever and released the hounds prematurely.
But last Thursday night, Hazzard found some redemption when Sky Hazzard ($6.80) upset raging favourite Just Friends ($1.50) in the 715-metre Special Event.
Hazzard was in tears after the race, telling Sandown officials that he was forever indebted to the club for its empathy in the wake of last year’s debacle.
Later, McDonald’s champion sprinter Shanlyn Prince made a rousing return to top nick in holding off the highly fancied Trew Millions to win the $14,500 Dave Hodgson Memorial over 515 metres.
It was the Prince’s first victory at Sandown Park since his stunning all-the-way triumph in the 2007 Melbourne Cup, providing some consolation for McDonald after his near miss in the evening’s main race.
