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Scenes of unbridled jubilation greeted the return to the birdcage of Waverley galloper Sergeant Blast after he triumphed in the last race on the programme at Trentham on Saturday.
The Sam Lennox trained galloper put his small but boisterous group of owners into party mode when he overhauled race favourite All Roads in the closing stages of the John Turkington Forestry sponsored Duoro Cup (1600m) to register his fourth career victory.
Lennox, who also owns a share in the Darci Brahma gelding, was anticipating an eventful evening as he was swamped by well-wishers as he waited for his charge to return to scale.“I’m just over the moon as he’s such a neat little horse,” he exclaimed.
“To pull off a win like that is just a massive thrill. His owners have come over from Australia to watch him so there was a bit of pressure, but they are a great bunch of guys.”Lennox admitted he had his doubts about a victory as the race unfolded.
“I didn’t like it as there wasn’t much pace on and he was travelling a bit strong,” he said.“He is a great finisher though and with the weight off his back we knew he was going to be hard to beat.”
The victory by Sergeant Blast, who was a $20,000 purchase by Lennox at the 2014 National Yearling Sale, brought up a winning double for rider Johnathan Parkes who had taken out the first race on Abbey Road. Parkes went within a whisker of claiming the feature race on the day when beaten in a photo finish on Start Wondering in the Gr. 1 J.R. & N. Berkett Telegraph behind upset winner Signify.