Under-rated stayer Lambrusco made it three wins in a row when he produced a powerful late sprint to register his first victory in open company when successful over 2100m at Te Rapa.
The Samantha Logan-trained Cape Blanco six-year-old backed up a similar performance in a rating 82 grade 2100m event at the venue a fortnight ago with Saturday’s win promising there is more to come.
Handled confidently by three kilogram claiming apprentice Ashvin Goindasamy, who reduced his mounts’ handicap to a luxurious 51.5kgs, Lambrusco settled nicely in behind the speed before being angled into the clear early in the run home.
Goindasamy suffered a moments anxiety when he dropped his whip at the 250m however he didn’t panic as he guided Lambrusco home under a hands and heels ride to collar pacemakers Suliman and Athena Baby in the shadows of the post.
“I was really nervous when he dropped his stick and my heart just dropped,” Logan said.
“Ash rode him beautifully and he is a beautifully balanced rider.
“He kept him finding the line and the horse is genuine and fit and was able to run over the top of them.
“Ash is a really hard worker who rides work for me every morning so he deserves all the success he is getting.”
Logan admitted she had underestimated the ability of Lambrusco who she paid $35,000 for from the Wentwood Grange draft at the 2015 National Yearling Sale.
“He’s progressing and I obviously underestimated him, thinking he would be a jumper,” she said.
“I’ll have to eat my words now although we’ve always had a high opinion of him but being a Cape Blanco, he has taken awhile to develop.
“He’s six now and has just switched on, matured and strengthened up.”
Goindasamy was feeling a little sheepish when asked to explain where his whip was after the race.
“I think it’s (the whip) somewhere in the straight as when I went to flip it forward the wind blew it back,” he said.
“I was a little bit worried but he had no weight so I just went hands and heels and got the job done.
“When I started pushing him with rhythm and balance, he was loving it and he was flying.
“He has come a long way and I’ve stuck with him as he is going to be a good horse.”
In just his second full year of race riding, Goindasamy has made a flying start to the new season with the victory placing him temporarily at the top of the National Jockey’s Premiership with seven wins registered already this month.
