Outsider Flamberge scored an upset win in the Group 1 $500,000 Clamms Seafood Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield today.
The Peter Moody trained Flamberge made light of his 58kg from a horror barrier to record a nose win over the fast finishing Canberra trained sprinter Fell Swoop ($14).
Flamberge scores an upset win in the 2016 Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos
Speedy filly Heatherly ($3.70 favourite) gave her backers a good sight but couldn’t hold off the strong finishes of the first two placegetters to wind up in third spot.
Even though Flamberge has a very good first up record, he was sent out at the good odds of $34 with punters frightened off by the combination of a big weight and wide alley.
Winning jockey Damian Lane was put back by the obvious handicaps and had Flamberge quickly out of the gates to be travelling on the pace just behind the leaders and the tough six year old did the rest in the straight.
“He is a super little horse,” Lane said.
“He never runs a bad race.”
“Barrier fifteen with 58kg, all the odds against him, he has done a super job.”
Moody will have to decide now if he keeps Flamberge in Melbourne for the Group 1 $1.25m Lexus Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington in a fortnight or head off to Sydney for the Group 1 $700,000 The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill the following week.
“The Newmarket or the Galaxy in Sydney may be more suitable because he has won at Rosehill, 1100m, and you can get a bit of give in the ground up there,” Moody said.
“1200m down the straight at Flemington might be outside the Galaxy. We have Kinglike at home with similar connections ready to go so we will try to keep them apart and give them their chance.”
Moody was full of praise for Flamerge who claimed his second Group 1 trophy after winning 2015 Group 1 $500,000 Darley Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville.
“He has done a tremendous job. He is a courageous horse, a very good handicapper,” Moody said.
“We always try and have him ready for these handicaps because he is not a weight for age horse. But at handicap level he always runs unbelievably well.”
“And the worst the draw the better he runs. He always just applies himself, he just doesn’t give up this little bloke.”
2016 Oakleigh Plate Results
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | FLAMBERGE | Peter G Moody | Damian Lane | – | 15 | 58kg | $31 |
| 2 | 8 | FELL SWOOP | Matthew Dale | Glyn Schofield | 0.1L | 5 | 53kg | $14 |
| 3 | 16 | HEATHERLY | Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra | Ms Katelyn Mallyon | 0.85L | 2 | 50kg | $3.70F |
| 4 | 14 | PITTSBURGH FLYER | Lee & Shannon Hope | Jye McNeil (a) | 0.95L | 8 | 52kg | $41 |
| 5 | 19e | RELDAS | Robert Smerdon | Craig Newitt | 1.45L | 14 | 52kg | $31 |
| 6 | 11 | THE QUARTERBACK | Robbie Griffiths | Luke Currie | 1.95L | 10 | 52.5kg | $17 |
| 7 | 2 | DOTHRAKI | Peter & Paul Snowden | Steven Arnold | 2.15L | 17 | 56.5kg | $41 |
| 8 | 9 | GREGERS | David Hayes & Tom Dabernig | Craig Williams | 2.25L | 1 | 53kg | $26 |
| 9 | 7 | BOUNDING | Peter & Paul Snowden | Mark Zahra | 2.75L | 7 | 55.5kg | $5 |
| 10 | 3 | FAST ’N’ ROCKING | David Hayes & Tom Dabernig | Dwayne Dunn | 3.15L | 6 | 56.5kg | $16 |
| 11 | 10 | KURO (NZ) | Lee & Anthony Freedman | Daniel Stackhouse | 3.9L | 11 | 53kg | $41 |
| 12 | 13 | GRIANTE | David Brideoake | Harry Coffey (a) | 4L | 9 | 52kg | $31 |
| 13 | 15 | VEZALAY | Leon & Troy Corstens | Glen Boss | 4.2L | 16 | 52kg | $31 |
| 14 | 4 | SMOKIN’ JOEY | Wez Hunter | Jamie Mott | 4.7L | 13 | 56.5kg | $61 |
| 15 | 18 | KEEN ARRAY | David Hayes & Tom Dabernig | Stephen Baster | 7.7L | 4 | 50kg | $4.40 |
| 16 | 5 | ECLAIR CHOICE | Phillip Stokes | Dom Tourneur | 8.45L | 12 | 56kg | $31 |
| 17 | 12 | ATMOSPHERICAL | Robert Smerdon | Ms Michelle Payne | 15.45L | 3 | 52kg | $41 |
