It was oh so close for O’So Hazy, (trained by Scott Spackman) and Don’t Give A Damn, (owned by Keith Carmody) who were edged out in a thrilling Country Championships Final at Randwick on Saturday.
The Southern District’s most well-known caller, Alan Hull called the race, and the horses leapt from the barriers as his familiar vocals yelled, “And the gates crashed back at Royal Randwick.”
Both horses settled near the lead with O’So Hazy in second and Don’t Give a Damn in fourth, just a couple of hundred metres from the barriers.
The field bunched up on the turn with 400 metres to run with the 4 year old mare (Hazy) by O’Lonhro letting down, before being quickly followed by Carmody’s 4 year old gelding (Damn) by Bon Hoffa.
At the 200 metre mark it looked as if the locals would fight it out and possibly quinella the race, before the Jenny Graham trained Victorem, switched to the inside and took the rails run at the 175 metre mark.
Victorem found a gap and put 2 lengths on the rest of the field, as the 3 year old gelding by I am Invincible crossed the line to win the Final.
Spackman immediately thanks his team. he said “What a run, we couldn’t ask for anything more. It takes a cohesive and supportive team to make this happen and we are privileged to race a strong, beautiful mare. Patience commitment and tenacity. Well done to Brooke Sweeney, take a bow for the SDRA, the Wagga form stacks up.”
Check out next week’s Times for the Full story.
