Talented gelding Danchai has justified his race favouritism north of the border over the weekend; displaying a keen turn of foot in the final straight to take out the featured 2015 Ipswich Cup (2150m).
Danchai (inside) out-sprinted Banco Mo (outside) to win the 2015 Ipswich Cup. Photo: Daniel Costello
Jumping from the gates well, up-and-coming Queensland hoop Luke Tarrant settled Danchai in competitive position within the field of 13; allowing the race’s early leaders to set a fair pace away from the barriers and over the back straight.
Steadily pressing the Authorized gelding forward upon approaching the final bend, Tarrant displayed ability beyond his years when successfully steering the six-year-old past a rapidly-slowing Kurtley before gearing up for a final assault on the line.
Having found the line a head in the clear of Mornington Cup champion Banca Mo and locally-based stayer Darci Be Good, Tarrant was understandably thrilled to have delivered leading trainer Chris Waller a black type victory in their first partnership.
“I was just honoured to get a ride for Mr Waller. These Sydney stayers can really pick up and Danchai is the type that can hit the line hard,” Tarrant said.
“But things didn’t go entirely to plan because we were in a good position when the leader stopped quickly and I had to alter course.”
Stable representative for Waller, Andre Rabbett was on hand to witness Danchai’s impressive 2015 Ipswich Cup triumph and revealed the import’s next point of call is yet to be decided.
“There was good prize money today in Queensland and we decided to run him here rather than Rosehill,” Rabbett said after the race.
“But I will have to speak with Chris to see exactly what we do.”
Transferring to the care of Waller from the stables of renowned British trainer William Haggas prior to his 2014 campaign, Danchai has quickly built to the task this time in, having finished fifth in the TAB.com.au Handicap (1600m) and third in the Eremein Handicap (1800m) leading into his 2015 Ipswich Cup triumph.
Punters who backed Danchai to win the 2015 Ipswich Cup with leading online bookie Ladbrokes.com.au have been paid out on generous $5.50 odds for success!
2015 Ipswich Cup Results
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | DANCHAI (GB) | Chris Waller | Luke Tarrant (a) | – | 2 | 54kg | $5.50F |
| 2 | 1 | BANCA MO | Bevan Laming | Timothy Bell | 0.2L | 5 | 59kg | $13 |
| 3 | 2 | DARCI BE GOOD (NZ) | Andrew Williamson | Damian Browne | 1L | 6 | 57kg | $7.50 |
| 4 | 11 | NO TRICKS (NZ) | Wayne Walters | Michael Cahill | 1.1L | 1 | 54kg | $15 |
| 5 | 13 | BACHELOR ZEEL (NZ) | Frank Ritchie | Jason Taylor | 4.6L | 3 | 54kg | $71 |
| 6 | 5 | NOISY OCEAN | Bryan Guy | Robbie Fradd | 4.7L | 8 | 54kg | $13 |
| 7 | 4 | HI SON | Tony Gollan | Jim Byrne | 6.2L | 11 | 54.5kg | $7 |
| 8 | 10 | MISS HUSSON | Bruce W Hill | Matthew McGuren (a) | 7.2L | 10 | 54kg | $21 |
| 9 | 3 | VOLKHERE | Robert Heathcote | Tegan Harrison | 7.6L | 12 | 55.5kg | $7 |
| 10 | 8 | BALIGARI | Lloyd Kennewell | Ric McMahon | 11.6L | 4 | 54kg | $6 |
| 11 | 9 | SHOTOVER RIVER (NZ) | John, Dan & Chris Meagher | Jeff Lloyd | 14.4L | 13 | 54kg | $9 |
| 12 | 7 | KURTLEY | Leon Davies | Paul Hammersley | 15.7L | 9 | 54kg | $41 |
| 13 | 12 | VODNIK (IRE) | Bruce W Hill | Glen Colless | 31.2L | 7 | 54kg | $17 |
