Longshot Flamberge Up in Time to Win Goodwood
Description:
Flamberge pulled off an upset in the Darley Goodwood (Aus-I) May 19 at Morphettville, rolling up late to collar front-runner Lord Of The Sky for a top-level breakthrough.
Starting from far outside post 16 in the 17-horse field, Flamberge defied his less-than-ideal draw and long odds for a three-quarter-length triumph. Lord of the Sky held for second, with Under the Louvre 1 1/4 lengths back in third. Favorite Black Heart Bart was fourth and local hope Hucklebuck tired to finish 12th after being in contention nearing the lane.
Prominent early in the 1,200-meter (about six-furlong) race, Flamberge settled just in behind Lord Of The Sky and unleashed a willing rally when jockey Vlad Duric asked at the home turn, getting up in the nick of time to best that rival for the win.
Flamberge was timed in 1:09.33 on good turf, earning his eighth win from 27 career starts and fourth stakes win, including a pair of group III races at Flemington and Rosehill Gardens. He was seventh in the Galaxy (Aus-I) March 21 at Rosehill Gardens and third Hoysted Handicap two weeks earlier at Flemington in his two most recent starts prior to Saturday's race.
Tudor grabbed the early lead in the Goodwood from Lord Of The Sky but the latter was in charge entering the stretch. Flamberge arrived in a rush to deny that rival, who again settled for second after finishing as the runner-up in the Darley T.J. Smith (Aus-I) April 6 at Royal Randwick.
Five-year-old gelding Flamberge is the 10th group I winner for Darley sire Exceed And Excel. He is a homebred of newly elected Racing Victoria chairman David Moodie and is trained by Peter Moody, who won the race in 2012 with undefeated megastar mare Black Caviar.
Flamberge's dam is Australian group III winner Razor Blade, (by Blazing Sword), who also produced a full sister in group I-placed sprinter Curtana and a group I-placed Scenic half brother in stakes winner Sunburnt Land.