By Adam Hamilton
Former Victorian topliner Restrepo has returned from injury and a stint at stud to emerge as a genuine Perth Inter Dominion player.
Winning first-up from 21 months out with injury is a mighty effort, but when you upstage the Inter Dominion favourite it goes to another level.
Restrepo’s all-the-way Yarra Valley Cup today (Thursday) came at his first race start since the Hunter Cup of February, last year.
The Aussie TAB slashed his Perth Inter odds from $31 to $21.
He was retired to stud soon after and fans thought they had seen the last of him.
But adoring co-trainers Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin, who unashamedly talk about Restrepo as one of their all-time personal favourites, never gave up.
And they were in awe when, courtesy of a superb Chris Alford front-running drive, Restrepo found plenty to hold-off the powerful finish of a luckless Hectorjayjay to win.
“We’ve been really happy with him all the way through, then he had some hoof abscess problems, which a few of our horses have had after a wet winter and spring,” Stewart said.
“We had to scratch him from a Melton race a few weeks back and get him right again, but his Melton trial (win, last week) showed he was right on target.”
Alford cruised off the gate from barrier three and then ambled to the front from stablemate Major Secret, while his other two stablemates – Guaranteed and Yankee Rockstar – settled outside the leader and one-one.
Hectorjayjay, the $1.75 favourite, settled one out and two back, but always looked to have a huge task with Restrepo dawdling through his early splits.
After a slow lead time and soft 63.4sec first half off the last mile, Restrepo ripped home in 53.9 and 26.2sec.
Think about Hectorjayjay’s run to make-up almost three lengths when coming three-wide without cover for the last 900m on those splits.
Guaranteed, who was only second-up from that same Hunter Cup 21 months ago which Restrepo contested, battled away bravely for fourth.
The other Stewart/Tonkin runner bound for Perth, Yankee Rockstar, had a gun run, stayed in when Hectorjayjay came three-wide, and worked home fairly between runners in the last 150m to finish fifth
Both Guaranteed and Yankee Rockstar can and will need to keep improving to be serious players in Perth.
Hectorjayjay remains the Aussie TAB’s $4 equal favourite for the Perth Inters, which start with heats at Gloucester Park on November 25.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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