Sardini Goes Wire to Wire in Coalmine Mile Cup

The feature race this past weekend was the Coalmine Mile Cup (G2) over a mile on the turf here in Victoria. The prestigious race attracted a total of thirteen three-year-olds that took to the track this past Saturday, all hopeful to come away with the win in the Coalmine Mile Cup (G2). The favorite as the field made their way to the gate on Saturday was Six Gun City ER, who is proudly owned and trained by erracing. However, the three-year-old son of Forestry wasn’t to be the champion this day as, Sardini, who faltered in his last start, the Springhill Horse Rescue Restricted (G1), rebounded here in the Coalmine Mile Cup (G2) to take the win in an upset.

After the thirteen horse field loaded into the starting gate this past weekend and they bolted out of the gate at the sound of the bell, it was punter41’s Sardini who took off towards an early and unexpected lead. Fast out of the gate, the three-year-old Bernardini son was looking to maintain his streak of almost always finishing at least in the money in all of his turf starts. Just a one-fourth length off the early pace of Sardini in second position to his inside was Woette’s Slipper, trained and owned by woette1. Three-fourth lengths along back running in third on the rail was paztwo’s chestnut colt, Delaney’s Prayer. Running more than a length off the leaders in fourth was Pro Groom Ted, owned by stakes with teerades’ Raging Menace about two lengths back behind Sardini and rolling along in fifth to to the outside of horses. Raging Menace was running just off the pace as expected early on. The colt, coming off a poor finish in the Mopse Cup (G1), in which he faced an off track for the first time, was looking for his first graded win in over a year here in the Coalmine Mile Cup (G2). Trailing the field by five and three-fourth lengths out of the gate early on in the race was slewtpie’s Flag The Band.

Sardini picked up his lead to three-fourths of a length, maintaining his narrow margin of a lead over second place runner Woette’s Slipper. Now about one and three-fourth lengths off the pace of the front two leaders was Delaney’s Prayer who was still running along comfortably in third with Pro Groom Ted and Raging Menace just of the pace of him in fourth and fifth. Attempting to make an early move towards the center of the track we had desimster2’s Include My King (JPN) who was now five and a half lengths off the pace of Sardini in sixth. Just to his inside was the pre-race favorite, the ever-consistent Six Gun City ER, also running as expected towards the middle of the pack. Still trailing the field and now nine lengths off the leader was Flag The Band.

Making their way through the turn before the stretch, Sardini had vastly lengthened his lead to three and a half lengths over Delaney’s Prayer who was also beginning to move up in position on the turn. Starting to falter now in the late stages of the race was Woette’s Slipper who was falling back quickly on the outside of horses. Raging Menace was raging forward on the outside now and was running just four and a half lengths back in fourth in excellent striking position to make a move down the stretch. Pro Groom Ted was starting to drop off the pace under jockey S. Benoit as he dropped six lengths back into fifth. Making a bold move on the inside rail and weaving through horses was the first of the three entires for theatrical. Gratest, a starter in the Fountain Of Ute, Florida Derby and Bluegrass Derby, who had just found his forte over he turf was flying past horses now after he was rated back early off the pace by jockey B. Stephen. Include My King (JPN) was again back in seventh and was showing signs of being done with this race. The consistent Six Gun City ER, despite running off the pace as usual, was not showing his usual form in the Coalmine Mile Cup (G2) and began to drop back into eighth, the favorite gradually drifting out of the race. Flag The Band was also making an early run and was eight and three-fourth lengths off the pace towards the middle of the track as the field headed towards the stretch. Roberto’s King Of Indy (SAF) ran along in tenth with Danisha (ENG), owned by paceman2, and the second entry for Theatrical Stables, running in eleventh. Danisha (ENG) was also trying to come off an uncharacteristic finish over the yielding turf in the Mospe Cup (G1) but wasn’t having a good time of this race either as the colt seemed to be losing hope for his connections on scoring his first graded win here in the Coalmine Mile Cup (G2). Dropping back towards the rear of the field was canismajoar owned Bonus Boy with graywolf31’s Too Much Zip now trailing race-leader Sardini by thirteen and a half lengths.

As the field stampeded into the final furlongs of the stretch of the mile long turf race Sardini, under jockey S. Nightingale, still held onto the lead. However, slowly but surely, Gratest began to cut into three and a half length lead held by shocker Sardini. The two were coming down towards the wire, but it was clear that Gratest was not going to catch Sardini today as Sardini went on to win the race by two lengths in 1:34 1/5, just a shade over the stakes record set by Duke Of York and Daneye in previous years. Coming home for second in this years Coalmine Mile Cup (G2) was Gratest with Raging Menace coming home four and one-fourth lengths back in third.

Also rans: Flag The Band, Delaney’s Prayer, Include My King (JPN), King Of Indy (SAF), Woette’s Slipper, Pro Groom Ted, Danisha (ENG), Six Gun City ER, Bonus Boy and Too Much Zip.

Congratulations to punter41 of Phantom Pharms for your win with Sardini in the Coalmine Mile Cup (G2). This is tellnotale signing off.