Cape Hawke confirmed his status as one of the fastest chasers in Australia with a brilliant 29.20 seconds win in the opening Solo Melbourne Cup Prelude series at Sandown Park tonight.
Coming off a brilliant track record win in 29.13 seconds the previous Saturday night, Cape Hawke began only fairly from box 2 as Group1 winner Up And Away led through the first turn. However the Jamie Ennis trained son of Where’s Pedro soon raced to the lead to score by 2¼ lengths over David Bale.
The win was his ninth in 12 starts and sixth on end, taking his career prizemoney $15,000. He will return to Sandown Park for a second Solo Melbourne Cup Prelude on Thursday 6 October.
Three-time Solo Melbourne Cup winner Graeme Bate enjoyed a Prelude double, with Allen Elroy defeating Black Saharrah in a controversial photo finish, while Radley Bale returned to his brilliant best, winning by almost 12 lengths in 29.29 seconds.
Zippstar saluted in the night’s other Prelude for Neville and Kay King, holding out a fast finishing Stack ‘Em Flat in 29.59 seconds.
Each of tonight’s Solo Melbourne Cup Prelude winners have each earned a berth in the heats of Australia’s most prestigious race, the $290,000 Group 1 Solo Melbourne Cup. The heats will be run on Thursday 10 November with the final to be run the following Thursday night.
