Sport
21 October, 2024
Fred Kersley, Dublin Journal win 2024 Horsham Cup in thrilling photo finish
Dublin Journal claims 2024 Horsham Cup win by smallest margin.
The luck of the Irish was tested to the limit as Dublin Journal won the 2024 Horsham Cup by the smallest of margins.
Under the expert training of Ben, Will & JD Hayes, the Irish seven-year-old, Dublin Journal, engaged in a fierce battle.
It narrowly outpaced the 2024 Murtoa Cup winner, Station One, and the New Zealand galloper, Lottaroc, to claim the victory.
Settling three-back on the fence, Dublin Journal moved well during the 2100m race but was pinned behind Lottaroc and Station One.
With the finish line in sight and only 100m to go, jockey Fred Kersley seized the moment.
He made a decisive move, and Dublin Journal responded, matching stride-for-stride with its competitors.
As they reached the post, Dublin Journal won by the narrowest of margins, claiming its sixth win of the career.
Stable manager Will Evans was delighted with the result.
"What a huge thrill for the whole team," he told racing.com.
"There are some great owners in this horse; they come to every start.
"Freddy gave it a great run - we'd been a bit unlucky, so I didn't know on the post, but to see him get his head in front at the right time is a huge thrill."
Walters strike in Avoca Cup, Payne lands double
There are quite a few parallels between the Walters and Payne families.
Each of the patriarchs, trainers Wayne Walters and Paddy Payne, began their thoroughbred racing lives in New Zealand
Two of Walters' daughters became jockeys and eight of Payne's children had careers in the saddle.
As they have been on many occasions on race days over many decades, the Walters and Payne names were again to the fore at the Avoca Cup on Saturday.
Walters took centre stage with daughter Kate wearing the racing silks as Any Luck ($4.40) raced away with the $30,000 Blue Pyrenees Avoca Cup, 1850m.
The five-year-old charged down the outside to down Play On Words ($11) by 1.25 lengths, with Chevalier Du Fau ($11) a close up third for Ballarat trainer Lucina Boyd.
The win was a reward for consistency, with Any Luck finishing second in four of her previous five starts.
It was Walters' second Avoca Cup win in the past decade, with him having scored in 2017.
Andrew Payne took the training honours on the eight-race program with a double with his only two starters.
Ironbar ($2.20 favourite) saluted in the Sean How Maiden, 1300m, and Acapella Moon ($4.40) took her chance in the Cams Security Services Handicap, 13000m. Jockey Neil Farley shared the double.
Payne's success did not stop there. In a big day, he also saluted with Wellie Belle ($4.20 favourite) at Bendigo.
THE extended stable of Ciaron Maher had a day to remember on Saturday.
Bella Nipotina took out the $20 million The Everest in Sydney and Duke De Sessa scored in the $5m Caulfield Cup, giving Maher his second win in the race.
It was the import's first Australian success, with thirds in the group 3 Queen Elizabeth and Sandown Classic his previous best runs.