Dynamic galloper SONDELON (5yo geld LONHRO x TRISARA) was resuming from a spell for his trainers Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott over an unsuitably short 1250m in the feature event on Friday night at Canterbury Park, Race 7 the $80,000 Sutton Motors KIA EVENING STAR Benchmark 76 Handicap.
Asked to carry 60.0kgs in the assignment, in a race of 12 runners, on a night which was favouring on pace runners and knowing we didn’t have the necessary toe to eyeball the leading division in the early sections, it was SONDELON grit and the determination by jet pilot NASH RAWILLER who stole victory from the jaws of defeat when the duo arrived in the last hop to claim a Head win over Oakfield Twilight who had enjoyed the lead on the paint from the outset.
SONDELON has taken his career tally to: 11 starts: 4 wins, 1 second, 2 thirds and $139,880.
He has won over 1250m, 1400m, 1500m, 1600m. He has won at Newcastle, Kembla Grange, Rosehill and Canterbury.
Punters knew what they were doing when they jumped out of trees to back our horse who had opened earlier at $5 and was crunched in betting to start at $2.90.
There were several good hopes in the race that promises to be a very good formline but in the last 10 minutes, there was only one horse the punters wanted and the roar on course of the large crowd as Nash guided SONDELON to victory was deafening.
The race looked an even and competitive event with good early speed on paper and that’s how it panned out.
SONDELON had barrier 2 and the horsemanship of Nash and the Waterhouse bone and muscle and the combination clicked for a terrific win.
The race can be digested in its sectionals. On the speed maps it had Oakfield Twilight leading The Pharaoh and Oneness with Sedition coming across from wide to sit behind the leaders and Discussions driving trough to sit behind the pace. It was important that Nash tried to maintain a forward position as much as possible, to avoid being shuffled back 3 or 4 pairs back on the fence with nowhere to go.
The map was exactly how the race unfolded in the first 400m. They went lickety-split up front with Oakfield Twilight holding the fence and The Pharaoh at its girth.
Nash got Sondelon rolling and pushed up to settle fifth at the 1000m one pair back on the fence.
Then from the 1000m to the 800m pace came into the race with The Pharaoh clamping on the tempo and Oakfield Twilight matching motors and they peeled off a quick 10.69 split which strung the field out a bit.
Nash bided his time as the leaders put up a 3-4 length margin on our duo hugging the rail. Then from the 700m when they start to turn out of the back straight Nash slipped Sondelon some rein and they crept closer by the 600m as they posted an 11.23 split.
By the point of the turn into the straight Nash was swinging off Sondelon as he had a lap full of horse but was locked up tight on the fence as the field started to bunch. Sondelon was on the back of Oakfield Twilight as they straightened but The Pharaoh was starting to yield and Oneness made its move taking the run Sondelon was angling for. At the 250m Nash was check, check and check off the heels of the leader and trying to push out as those to his outside pushed him back into the fence. They peeled off an 11.68 400m – 200m and it looked for certain that it was going to end in disaster as Nash had nowhere to go.
Then at the 150m he got a gap, hooked out from behind the leader and pushed Oneness out of the way and began to charge.
It looked like it would be too late with Nash and Sondelon balancing up the margin was 1.5 lengths.
However, that’s when the competitiveness of Nash and the class of Sondelon kicked in and the duo sizzled. At the 100m Sondelon was now full of running and the margin had been whittled to a length.
Under vigorous riding that only Nash can achieve, he set sail for the post.
At the 50m he was half a length away and charging and in the last stride had caught the leader and then Nash showed his incredible talent as a horseman and with his left arm extended pushed Sondelon’s head down to ensure he was fully stretched to win in a photo.
Such was the drive of Nash and the fast finish of Sondelon that he posted a Head win. They ran home the last 200m in a slick 11.39 and with Sondelon spotting 1.5 lengths at the 150m he must have run around 11.2 his final sectional.
Adrian Bott when interviewed said: “Sondelon has come back this preparation in really great shape.
“I thought he had trialled up well and I though he had worked really well leading into tonight. It was just over the shorter trip we weren’t sure where we would end up in the run with the inside draws a bit tricky and as it turned out he didn’t have the speed to lead and there were a few anxious moments at the top of the straight but Nash kept his cool and importantly, the horse was strong late.
“It was a tough spot to be but they ran along in front which helped string them out a bit and he was able to get out late.
“He’s going to be better suited when he can get out over a bit further and hopefully, we can see him dictating and take control and not get into these types of situations often.
“He’s going to be perfectly placed over the summer, he’s got some good form around some very talented horses so he’s in at the right time of year. We’ll just take him through his grades and pick up some nice races for the owners.”
Nash Rawiller said in his interview: “He got into a lovely spot but I was a bit strung up there at the top of the straight which wasn’t ideal but he actually showed a very good turn of foot when the run came, and at the end of the day it could have been a luckless run but it turned into a bit of a soft win so going forward I think it will hold the horse in good stead.
“I was pretty confident the leader would give a good kick into the straight, I wasn’t at all anxious early. I was a bit slow away so for that reason, he didn’t have to work that hard to cross me.
I was wishing he found a little bit more when he straightened so I could have got out but he held up that bit more which made it more awkward for us.
Nash said to the owners’ post-race that he thought the run was super and he’s a really nice horse.
Congratulation to our loyal team of Dynamic Owners that race SONDELON: Dynamic Syndications Racing, Ms J P Ricketts, Mrs J M Foster, Mr S C Johansen, Mr I J Middleton, Mr R A Bradshaw, Immovable Object, Mr D Keller, Mrs G Brennan, Mr G J Buckley, Mr E Jomaa, Miss L Jurgeleit, Mr S J Brereton, Mr P A Blair, Mr J D Ilott, Mr G Giofre, Mr A Turnbull, Mr S J Hatch.
Sondelon from Dynamic Syndications on Vimeo.
This win by SONDELON recorded DYNAMIC SYNDICATIONS 613th Race Win and our 16th Race Win for this racing season.
The $38,750 prizemoney to our Winning (only) Prizemoney Tally through the $16million mark.
SONDELON became our third EVENING STAR race winner at Canterbury Park. We have also won the event with MIAMI DADE and WITCHES.