Orbison wins Champions Cup in Durban
Report: South Africa, Saturday
Clairwood: Champions Cup (Grade 1) 1m1f, turf, 3yo+
ORBISON (Herman Brown/Ray Danielson) sprang a 20-1 shock in the Champions Cup at Clairwood in Durban on Saturday.
The three-year-old tracked long timeleader Galileo's Galaxy most of the way, but he fairly sprinted past inside the final furlong to beat Felix Coetzee's mount by two and a half lengths with Danielson waving his whip in triumph.
Danielson, who caused an even bigger shock on 25-1 chance Ivory Trail in last year's race, said: "In the Cup Trial here last time everything went wrong. They went slow, I was racing wide, I had to go handy and Orbison just didn't have enough left in the tank. But, when I went to work him the other day, he felt a different horse."
Frank Robinson, Brown's assistant, added: "I've always rated the horse highly and I was very disappointed with him last time. Apart from him racing wide, the weather was cold and he threw a bit of a coat.
"We did a lot of work with him during the week. We also worked on his back and had him spot on. We are now looking forward to the Durban July in four weeks' time."
Pocket Power briefly looked dangerous when producing his famed finishing burst a furlong out but it wasn't as devastating as it used to be, and he was three-quarters of a length back third. Fellow 100-30 joint favouriteBold Silvano was half a length away fourth.
» Also on Saturday
Clairwood: Golden Slipper (Grade 1) 7f (1,450m), turf, 2yo fillies
Mahbooba (Mike de Kock/Kevin Shea) had to be hard ridden to find top gear, and the evens favourite looked in real trouble when she came under pressure two furlongs out.
She had to be given several smacks before finally producing a brilliant turn of foot to sweep past Fragrant Al 30 yards out. So fast was the Australian-bred Galileo filly travelling that she put two and a quarter lengths between herself and the runner-up by the line.
Shea said: "She was a bit sluggish. There is a wet patch when you swing for home and, if you don't go over it nicely, horses lose their footing - and that's what she did."
De Kock, who scratched his other runner Empire Rose, added: "It's unlike Kevin to go for his stick that early or that much, but she is tough.
"The further she goes the better she is going to get. When she runs over ten furlongs she will be awesome and hopefully she will be in the Oaks next season."
Clairwood: Golden Horseshoe (Grade 1) 7f (1,450m), turf, 2yo
De Kock had the first past the post for the third successive year but 7-10 shot Kavanagh lost the race in the stewards room to 18-1 chance Copper Parade (Joey Ramsden/Piere Strydom).
Kavanagh, who took it up two furlongs out, twice drifted left in the closing stages. Kevin Shea had his whip in the wrong hand and Copper Parade was intimidated. He was only beaten a short head, the stewards called a race review (stewards' inquiry) and Strydom successfully objected "for interference in the latter stages.
Ramsden said: "It's not a great way to win a race but my horse was intimidated. Also he was in front just before the line and again just after it.
"I'm not sure about him going for the Premier's Champion Stakes on Durban July day. If he gets a good draw, it might be hard to turn down but he was trained for today and he had a hard race."
However, it wasn't all disappointment for de Kock. He won both the Grade 2 races, the Gold Circle Oaks with Sweetie Pie (Muzi Yeni) and the Gold Circle Derby with his Durban July favourite Irish Flame (Kevin Shea). He also sent out the second in both these races.
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