Red Road Simply Brilliant In Group Two Richmond Derby Final
Once the lids flew in last night's $40,000 Richmond Derby Final, it was game, set and match for Thirlmere trainer Mark Gatt, after Red Road stepped beautifully from the inside alley to lead all the way in a fast 30.34.
Gatt went into the race with four finalists, with Red Road his best hope from box one. Punters were very keen on the youngster by Collision x Mystic Pace, who started at just $2.00. Second favourite Evil Punk ($4.80) was very gallant in defeat for trainer James Coyle, reducing the winning margin to three quarters of length at the finish. The $21 outsider Manyana Groper battled on gamely to finish third.
The $2.00 starting price for Red Road was significantly less than the $2.50 fixed odds offered at Sportsbet during the day. Punters that took advantage of the $250 Free Bet are giggling.
Red Road's sensational race record now sits at eleven wins from fifteen starts, with last night's victory taking his prizemoney total to an astounding $74,340. The dominant owner-trainer combination between Mark Gatt and Edwin Kingswell looks set for another successful year, with next month's $250,000 Easter Egg firmly in the team's sights.