Dynamic trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace have had their hopes of defending their
Jericho Cup crown given a big boost on Friday night at
Moonee Valley when our
Dynamic Syndications up and coming
"Marathon Man" DAMBULLA (5yo G FASTNET ROCK x TEMPLE OF PEACE by Carnegie) lumping 59.0kgs top weight in the event, made it
two (2) wins in a row at 3200m and beyond.
A last start winner over 3200m in slick time in a
Benchmark 74 at Wagga,
Dynamic Syndications had
DAMBULLA accepted for two races the
3850m at Moonee Valley and a
3400m race at Canberra on Sunday, as his final hit-out to the
Jericho Cup. Both races were
“Win and You’re In” Ballot Exempt races with double points bonus for the placegetters.
Reviewing the fields, and having crunched the numbers and believing
DAMBULLA was already safely in the field off his win at Wagga, we therefore believed
DAMBULLA would be best placed at Moonee Valley with the foundation of the
extra 650m distance laying a better platform for the Jericho, so we targeted that race.
In the process of
winning Friday nights 3850m extreme staying test named
“The Road To The Jericho” a Benchmark 78 event carrying double qualifying points,
DAMBULLA is now
Exempt from Ballot, guaranteeing him a start in the
$300,000 JERICHO CUP at Warrnambool on the 29th November, in a race restricted to Australian and New Zealand bred horses.
DAMBULLA is a son of Fastnet Rock out of a mare that won over 3000m.
The race plan was always to have our horse ridden positively by
jockey John Allen and either lead or sit at the girth or just in behind the leader, depending upon race tempo.
DAMBULLA was rated beautifully with a masterclass ride to lead, and defied mid-race moves from several of his rivals to defeat Alienated by two lengths with So Abel a further neck away in third.
It is an unusual sight to watch a race
go past the winning post on 3 occasions in the one event to determine a winner.
That was the case at Moonee Valley, as the 3850m race starts at the famed Cox Plate starting point at the top of the straight and as they passed the post on the first occasion, they still have two laps of the track to go and it was
DAMBULLA who
led the field past the post each time to claim victory.
The race was won by
DAMBULLA based upon his
incredible toughness and his
ability to relax in a race. He is so
strong and has such a
competitive streak in him, that he
fights all the way at a high cruising speed. Such was the dominance of his win that John Allen was able to
ease him down in the run to the line over the final 50m and yet the horse was still
full of running.
As much as it was about the win of
DAMBULLA it was also about the
ride of John Allen. Nothing else had a chance when the early tempo reeled off was judged so brilliantly.
After the first 400m established race positions, John peeled off the next 2 sections of
13.59 and
13.77. Then having established a relaxed tempo, the next 6 sectionals (1200m) were an incredibly slow
14.40, 14.46, 14.31, 14.43, 14.37, 14.46, with no pressure being applied, this was nothing more than a canter.
As the field swung out of the straight with one lap to go, several mid race moves were applied as those riders were becoming anxious with the slow speed.
The first to be flushed out was Karokaram (54.0kgs) with a 5.0kg pull in the weights, it swept past with 1800m to go, turning the race on, whilst favourite runner Matas (57.0kgs) tried hard to go at the same time but couldn’t get there because So Able and Legless Nick also pushed up underneath keeping it 3 deep.
Seeing Karokaram applying some pressure so far out, John Allen simply allowed it to cross then straight away angled off the fence and went up and sat at the girth of the new leader to ensure bad luck was taken out of the race and he wouldn’t get locked into a pocket on the fence.
The field stayed in their order down the back straight but the tempo had increased to
mid-13 sectionals.
Then as they field swung past the
1200m mark;
the race was on in earnest as the stayers all bored the pressure on.
The next 3 set of sectionals from the
1000m to the 400m were amazingly quick for a race of this stoutness.
DAMBULLA was back in front and he broke their hearts when he ran
11.66, 11.55 and 11.66.
Then over the final 2 sectionals without being under any pressure and having broken the spirit of those chasing he was able to ease down running
12.27 and
12.64. The last 600 was a slick
36.59 eased down.
So, the race was
won by the horse and rider jointly.
The Dynamic Duo stole the first half of the race and then broke their hearts with a super turn of foot for a horse that is being asked to run 3850m (2.5 miles).
Co-Trainer David Eustace was interviewed post-race on Racing.com by
Jason Richardson and said:
“That was great, really pleased, the Warwick Farm Team Jack, Joe, and Tom have done a wonderful job with this horse. He’s not straight forward, and Dynamic, Adam and Dean Watt, they do a great job with their horses and they have been patient because obviously he did not show a whole lot early. They had to be patient, they have taken their time and allowed us to do that and obviously they are reaping the rewards getting him out to extreme trips, which is great.”
Jason Richardson commented:
"Isn’t it a perfect advertisement that there will be a race or a distance that some horses will get to and when they (Dynamic) purchased him at the (NZ) Premier Sales for $150,000, I don’t reckon they were thinking races like this but he’s got a ticket into the Jericho Cup now and big prizemoney."
David Eustace added:
“Absolutely and what a great initiative the race is. We’re going to have a couple in the race now, (Dambulla and Wil John) and they’re really exciting races to watch. It’s great prizemoney and it gives these genuine stayers, which we should be encouraging, a chance for a big prize, so it’s great for the team and we look forward to getting them right for the day."
Jockey John Allen was then interviewed by Jason Richardson who said:
“That would have been exhausting to ride in but he’s done a good job, he takes some riding this boy.”
John Allen said:
“Yeah, he’s quite a relaxed lad, bowling along quite relaxed out in front. I was quite happy when one came at me and passed me with a circuit to go, it switched my lad on a bit better and he kept picking up and he was good and strong to the line.”
“You start getting dizzy going around there, but I suppose the only concern was going left-handed for the first time too, but he had no issues getting around this tight track.”
“That’s the plan to run in the Jericho. He’s got the right attitude for him to get out over a trip like that, so I am sure Ciaron and Dave will head him that way, and he will be there with a big chance.”
The 4600m (3 mile) trip of the Jericho Cup is a true marathon, run on the flat, and is a staying contest to be ridden exclusively by jumps jockeys under high-weighted handicap conditions at Benchmark 90 grade.
The Jericho Cup is a new concept race, and the 2020 renewal will be just the
third running of the race which honours the
tremendous victory the Australian Light Horsemen achieved in World War I.
The JERICHO CUP is deliberately run over 4600m which is 3 miles, to replicate a distance that the Australian Light Horsemen conducted their own race meeting around the city of Jericho, to lull the enemy into a false security that nothing was untoward, on the eve of the battle.
That original race was won by the hero of the Australian Waler Horses in WWI named:
BILL THE BASTARD.
Congratulations to our Dynamic Owners that race DAMBULLA on your 4th win and your first city win.: Dynamic Syndications Racing, EST S Bellear, Mr H C Leung, Mr J Filipowicz, Mr S L Goodger, Ms G E Cookson, Mr M D Needham, Mr M C Sumpter, Mrs I R Thomas, Mrs B J Dinon, Mr C Mcmanus, Mrs S J Clements, Mr G Schulz, EST F N Fitzpatrick, Dynamic No 61 Synd, Mr M B Naughton, Mr P Lienesch
DAMBULLA has advanced his career to 17 starts: 4 Wins, 2 seconds, 4 thirds and $114,275 with victories at 1600m, 2000m 3200m, 3850m.
Dambulla - Moonee Valley 13.11.20 from Dynamic Syndications on Vimeo.
Dambulla - Post Race Interview (David Eustace) from Dynamic Syndications on Vimeo.
This win by DAMBULLA was Dynamic Syndications 675th Race Win overall and our 21st Win for the 2020-21 Racing Season.
Whether DAMBULLA can stay the 4600m (3 mile) of the JERICHO CUP carrying 69.0kgs is speculative but he has had the perfect foundation, he's in a great stable, he has excellent form and we haven't got to the bottom of him in the past 2 wins.
Whatever the future holds its been a lot of enjoyment getting to here, and our owners are experiencing the fun and excitement of racing a handy, developing stayer.