Delmonico claims big win in tight finish at Riccarton

Connections of Delmonico had an anxious wait after the last race, the Racecourse Hotel and Motor Lodge Rating 65 (1600m), at Riccarton on Wednesday.

Delmonico and Andrew Carston after Wednesday's win.

The five-year-old son of Prince of Brooklyn made a barnstorming run from third-last on the bend, ten-lengths off the leader, to land himself in a photo finish with just one length covering the first four runners.

“I was happy to get the result under unique circumstances,” trainer Andrew Carston said. “We had to wait 10 minutes for the call and normally it’s always a dead heat when you have to wait that long.”

Delmonico was patiently ridden by Carston’s stable apprentice Krishna Mudhoo from the outside barrier of 14.

“It was a huge run,” Carston said. “He did the same last time too and just missed out.

“I was confident before the barriers came out , but then he drew the outside and I lost that confidence, but it was another really nice ride from Krishna. He was patient and rode him for luck and he got the luck.”

Delmonico is raced by Andrew Bryant and Dave Armstrong under their Andari Ltd banner.

“He’s the first horse I’ve trained for them.” Carston said, crediting their patience. “He’s always shown natural ability, it’s just taken him a little while to work it all out.

“He actually won his first two starts which probably didn’t help him, he was a big weak immature horse, and he went straight into rating 75 and he needed time to work the game out.

“He has been very consistent this preparation and I think he’s just coming of age. He had a good long spell, and he’s come back in good order.

“I know he only beat Rating 65 horses yesterday, but it was a good win, a good effort to do what he did and still win, they don’t usually win from last on the Polytrack in a 14-horse field.”

Carston said Delmonico was likely to return to the synthetic surface in two weeks’ time for his next race.

“I always say it’s a step from rating 65 to rating 75 so we will just see how he progresses, but he appears to have a very good turn of foot on the Polytrack.”

Delmonic was bred by Jason Coutts’ Grassyards Farm in Mosgiel, where his sire Prince of Brooklyn, a Group Three winning son of Magnus, stands.

Delmonico is now a four-time race winner and he’s also finished second in four of his 26 career starts.

Click here to watch a replay of the race.