Cosmic Chief Fires All The Shots In 2010 Sandown Shootout
Cosmic Chief showed punters he was not only one of the country's most consistent sprinters, but one of the fastest with a dazzling win in the $25,000 winner-takes-all Group 3 Macro Meats Shootout at Sandown Park tonight.
Push The Paint ($3.50) pinged from box 1 in the four-dog field to lead past the post the first time with Cosmic Chief ($2.90) and favourite Enry Walt ($2.50) close behind. Push The Paint eased off the rail rounding the first turn, allowing Cosmic Chief to find the rails and make his move down the back straight.
The Darren Brown trained six-time Group race finalist then raced away from the field, finding the line 3.5 lengths clear of Push The Paint in a race record 29.33, while Enry Walt was unable to find a way past Anglea Langton's speedster a further 1.75 lengths away third.
So Seductive, the Sandown 715m track record holder and controversial inclusion in the race, made some late ground to finish a further 2.5 lengths away.
Cosmic Chief's owner and breeder Darren Brown was delighted with the win.
“The dog has been fantastic for myself and the Brown family,” he said.
“I bred it and they reared it as a pup and he has now won almost $200,000 in prizemoney. He's a fantastic animal and we couldn't be more proud.”
The win was Cosmic Chief's 21st of his 48 race career and improved his Sandown Park record to six wins from 11 starts at the Lightwood Road Circuit. It was his second Group race win following his Group 2 Warrnambool Classic win in May.
On a big night of racing at Sandown Park, six Solo Melbourne Cup Prelude winners secured their berth in next Thursday night's Solo Melbourne Cup heats, while trainer Noel Boyd enjoyed a memorable night, winning the night's opening race before winning a $5000 night out at Sandown Park for the Devon Meadows Football Club as part of the Jack Riewoldt Shootout Competition.