GOTCHA as Dynamic JMac Ride allows VANDANGLE to Score over Bowman

14 Mar 22

On Sunday at Coonamble in country NSW, it was their Showcase Meeting and Country Championships qualifier heat. As a result, the Coonamble Jockey Club invited and flew up to their meeting Sydney’s two best jockeys, James McDonald and Hugh Bowman to ride.

Dynamic Syndications and our Scone based trainer William Freedman, had our promising galloper VANDANGLE (Vancouver x Danglissa Girl) aiming towards the Benchmark 66 Handicap over 1600m at that meeting, and with news that the big boys were going to Coonamble, Adam Watt from Dynamic swooped to secure James McDonald to ride our horse.

“JMac’s” ride on our $3.60 second favourite Vandangle was “beyond belief” to secure victory in the shadows of the post, recording a 0.16 length win over the Hugh Bowman mount and $2.10 favourite Deel With Me, with Winter Moon 2.62 lengths back in third spot.

VANDANGLE (James McDonald) defeats DEEL WITH ME (Hugh Bowman)

VANDANGLE took his career record to 7 Starts: 3 Wins, 2 Seconds, 1 Third.

Trained by William Freedman, his Scone stable is on fire with 12 Winners in his past 50 starters for a 24% Winners:Runners Strike Rate.

VANDANGLE won Race 9 on the programme, the Dad & Dave Turf, Evergreen Turf and Evergreen Australia, Benchmark 66 Showcase Handicap (1600m) on a Good 4 Surface carrying 57.0kgs being 0.5kgs over the allotted 56.5kgs weight for James McDonald.

Congratulations to the Dynamic Team that races VANDANGLE: Dynamic Syndications Racing, Mr G A Cosgrove, Ms L I Kennedy, C J R Racing, Mr L Szancer, Mr M J Hill, Dynamic No 111, Almighty Racing Pty Ltd, Mr D J Ricketts, T P Racing.

Vandangle has good gate speed and off the speed map we could see we would either lead or sit at the girth of the leader after the first 100m and control the race tempo from in front and then kick away.

Pre-race Will Freedman was interviewed on Sky Channel and confirmed our preferred position was to lead.

All we can confirm is that didn’t happen as our horse settled second last on the fence.

If you were able to watch the race closely, you would have had your heart in your mouth for James McDonald as the gates flung back.

In what was nothing short of sensational horsemanship, as Vandangle jumped away, both his front to legs slipped and knuckled over, and our horse went down on his knees, all bar throwing James McDonald out of the saddle.

Barrier 5 VANDANGLED on knees and James McDonald just hangs-on

Only Sydney’s leading horseman knows how he was able to stay on board and lift our horse’s head and get him up off the turf.

As a result, the field had flown the lids and James and Vandangle were back at the tail of the field.

James just got Vandangle balanced then steered straight across to the paint, in what proved a brilliant move because he got onto the back of the Hugh Bowman favourite, who had settled two pairs back on the fence, after the field had run a furlong.

James knew from Will Freedman that our horse would run a strong mile out, so with that in mind, James had a gun trail, stalking Hugh Bowman.

Approaching the turn, the field began to bunch and Hugh went forward to peel off the back of the leaders as they balanced into the straight and was in the stalking position from the 300m to the 200m, before being ready to pounce the final furlong.

Hugh had Deel With Me ready to swoop, with Vandangle 2 lengths in arrears, racing tight with tired traffic around him.

200m Vandangle is 2 lengths behind Deel With Me

As Hugh pushed the go button on Deel With Me, and going to the lead, it looked as though Hugh held a winning break. However, James McDonald is a wizard in the saddle and gave chase. Still one length behind the leader with a 100m to go, Hugh Bowman was riding his hardest.

At the 100m still a length behind

Vandangle forging to the front in the shadows of the post

James knew that he was finishing off strongly and with 40m to run, James had drawn level with Hugh but was finishing off far better down the outside.

GOTCHA! Heads turned ~ Jmac and Hugh "compare notes" crossing the line

Over the final 25m James had gained the supremacy and the two top hoops gave each other "a cheeky Gotcha spray" as James piloted Vandangle home the winner.

VANDANGLE & JMAC returning to scale

James McDonald Returns a winner on Vandangle met by Will Freedman

It was a tough and courageous win, but it took a "pearler" from JMac to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

James McDonald interviewed post race by Greg Radley for Sky Channel

Had things panned out as expected, we believe Vandangle would have won with authority, however under the dramatic circumstances at the start of the race, and the horse all but falling, then being out the back and spotting the leaders 10 lengths start mid-race, a cool, calculated ride delivered us success.