LOCALLY trained four-year-old Kashed Up earned himself another tilt at the Group 1 The Rising Sun when he scored an upset win in Saturday night’s The Queensland Sun at Albion Park.
The Gemma Hewitt prepared son of Somebeachsomewhere speared across from his wide front row draw to lead before Brendan Barnes opted to surrender the front to Slip The Hundy and await his chance along the sprint lane.
The race went according to an unprepared script for Barnes as Kashed Up unleashed a powerful finale along the sprint lane to score from the fast finishing Big Wheels and subsequently secure an invitation to contest The Rising Sun.
Barnes said he sensed Kashed Up was in the zone during the pre-race preliminary.
“I sprinted him up in the warm up and he felt sharper than he’d ever been before,” Barnes said.
“He had never shown that sort of gate speed, usually he scores up alright and then drops the bit as the mobile lets us go but he was right up there and charged out of the gate.”
Barnes admitted he had options he hadn’t envisaged prior to the race.
“I was happy enough to lead when he came out like he did but I was equally as happy to hand up to Slip The Hundy when he came around for a look at the lead,” he said.
“We were going quick enough and I didn’t really want to roll along any faster, so I was happy to wait for the sprint lane. I was confident at the 400 because he was jogging.”
Barnes admitted it was a relief Kashed Up had finally started to realise his potential with consecutive wins at Albion Park.
“We had expected more of him this preparation but he’s won his past couple now and he might be starting to work it out. He normally has a flat spot in his races but it wasn’t there this time.”
Kashed Up finished fourth behind Amazing Dream in the inaugural running of The Rising Sun last year.
Earlier in the night Spirit Of St Louis served notice he will be a major player in the Sunshine Sprint and Blacks A Fake when he completed back to back wins at Albion Park in the Wondais Mate Open.
Jack Callaghan gave Spirit Of St Louis ($3.10 eq fav) time to balance up as he worked forward to sit outside the leader before securing the one out one back trail when A Gs White Socks came around to keep the well backed Fire Fox ($3.10 eq fav) company.
The two favorites went stride for stride down the home straight with Spirit Of St Louis edging clear in the shadows of the post to score by a half neck from Fire Fox in a mile rate of 1:53.0 for the 1660-metre sprint trip.
* Picutres courtesy Dan Costello
