Robbie Laing’s By Brad Kingsbury
CRANBOURNE trainers scooped seven wins from the 10 races at the Pakenham Cup carnival at the Pakenham Racecourse on Sunday, including the $100,000 Peet Limited Pakenham Cup.
Locals Michael Kent, Doug Harrison and Robbie Griffiths all picked up doubles on the day.
But it was Robbie Laing’s honest galloper Sermon that stole the show at the track as he won the Pakenham Cup.
The five-year-old gelding was ridden perfectly by seasoned jockey David Chipman and ground out a solid victory by almost a length over well-supported pair Papa (Michelle Payne) and Packing Success (Craig Williams).
Chipman, who returned to race riding in 2005 after a five-year break, was having his first ride in the Pakenham Cup but said that he thought he was in with a good chance, even though punters did not.
“I’m a bit shocked at his price. His form was good except for his last run at Rosehill where a heavy track put him out of contention,” he said.
“He got a lovely run during the race and he was probably going too well at the 700 (metre mark).
“I just needed to get around Vlad (Duric) on the top weight, but when I did he ran it out really well and it was a good, tough win.”Last year’s Cup winner Sandsweeper was backed into $3 favourite but his race was run just after the turn into the home straight, while locally prepared horses Optimal and Puckygoogle were among the early leaders but faded when the pressure was applied.
In other races, Harrison’s gelding Tantat Secret won the David Bourke Memorial Handicap, and Costleyev won the final race of the day.
Kent won the opening race — a jumps feature — with Comaage a Trois, and with Peace Treaty in the fourth, while Griffiths won with Meteor Master and Slip of the Tongue.
