Long Shot Goes Wire to Wire in New South Wales!

The How Are You Gentlemen Cup Stakes
Grade 1 Stakes
A mile and one sixteenth on Firm Turf
$500,000
Fillies and mares, 3 years old

In what was a rather strange race, pre-race favorite TENACIOUS V was nosed out at the wire by CHOP NEVER STOPS to take the Grade I How Are You Gentleman Cup race today in New South Wales. It was a wire-to-wire win for long shot CHOP NEVER STOPS who battled another long shot VERDANT FIELD the entire race until the final strides. This was only the fifth race for the winner who hadn’t crossed the wire first since her maiden four back. It was her best outing and best speed figure in that short career. Trainer JSimpson sure looked like he knew what he was doing with this Green Desert out of Captain’s Cats filly. In an unusual twist, it was the first win of the season for both JSimpson and also Jockey Heller.

The race started with the winner along with LARGE MARGE and VERDANT FIELD racing three across like they were heading down the stretch all the way through the first turn. Most patrons thought that surely all three would burn themselves out with the fast first fractions but FIELD and CHOP NEVER STOPS battled head to head all the way to the finish. TENACIOUS V fell nearly to the back and found herself 10 lengths back at the half before she shifted into gear. She flew by the field like a bolt of lightning but didn’t have quite enough to catch the winner. If the race had been a few feet longer, she probably would have won. The trifecta which included the two long shots paid nearly $2000.00.

CHOP NEVER STOPS has put herself into position to be considered a real threat in this three year old season and it will be interesting to see where she goes next. Two horses with extremely high hopes for this year, COSMO GIRL and CARSON TOUCH(NZ) were disappointing once again finishing 8th and 14th respectively. It is back to the drawing board for their owners.

I’m looking forward to more twists and turns with this three year old class.

PazJazz

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