Two-year-old colt Sonofkirk has stable excited for future after ‘phenomenal win' at Caulfield
Both Sonofkirk and the runner-up Oyster Lane had hordes of owners supporting their charges in the Vale Snitzel (1000m) in a great advertisement of the egalitarian nature of Australian racehorse ownership.
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Sonofkirk was the last to leave the barrier but first past the post as a sharp turn of foot from the 250m enabled the colt to grab Oyster Lane on the line, denying the Ciaron Maher-trained colt a debut win with jockey Jye McNeil aboard.
The Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Sonofkirk ($4.20) was also slow away before running on strongly to finish third to the promising Miss Ole at Flemington on debut three weeks earlier.
Race experience didn't help Sonofkirk's barrier habits but the Freedmans' racing manager Billie Rodda said the son of Caulfield Guineas winner Ole Kirk was able to get himself out of trouble.
'He didn't jump very well again today, the same as he did at his first start down the Flemington straight, but we were just pleased to get a good result,' Rodda said.
'We purely put it down to just rawness and being his first start.
'We came here today in hope that he would jump a little bit better but he didn't.
'But it didn't matter in the end.
'It was a phenomenal win. A super turn of foot so we're very happy.'
Sonofkirk was a $65,000 weanling purchase but took his earnings to more than $95,000 in two starts despite his slow starts.
Winning jockey Jye McNeil. Picture: Getty Images
Rodda said the youngster had the scope to improve with a little more education heading into his spring three-year-old season.
'We'll get him home and see that he's pulled up right but he's obviously a lovely two-year-old to take into the early spring races as an early three-year-old,' Rodda said.
'He may go away now but coming into a three-year-old season, the fact that he's still doing so much wrong gives us the confidence to know that he's a nice horse going forward.
'After doing it a second time today, we may take him home and do a little bit of barrier education work.
'He's got a very sharp turn of foot. So as long as he's producing that late, it's not costing him too much.'
The Maher-trained Life After Love made an encouraging debut when belying her $71 starting price to grab third.
Life After Love got a long way back but ran on well between horses in the straight to take third ahead of the Lindsay Park-trained Hello Romeo, who was the best of the on-pace runners.
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As if the pain of a first defeat to Australia at Ellis Park in 62 years was not enough, South Africa face a heavy injury toll from the 38-22 defeat in Saturday's Rugby Championship opener, with captain Siya Kolisi sidelined for an extended period. Kolisi suffered a knee injury as Australia rallied from 22 points down in a stunning second-half display and is out of the second test in Cape Town on Saturday and likely the two-match tour to New Zealand that follows. Loose-forward Pieter-Steph du Toit suffered a concussion in the weekend loss and will also miss the second game as he goes through return-to-play protocols. Both wings from the loss, Kurt-Lee Arendse (knee) and Edwill van der Merwe (ankle), are also out of this coming weekend. That should be tempered by the return from injury of experienced wing Cheslin Kolbe. Inside centre Damian de Allende, an important cog in the backline, is also set to be fit after missing Saturday's loss. Coach Rassie Erasmus said the team are aware of their shortcomings at Ellis Park as they tried to move the ball too expansively and were picked off by a clinical Australia. "We had a proper meeting and the feeling is frustration," he said on Monday. "But at least we know what we did wrong. That's the most important thing. They totally outplayed us. "If you play beautiful rugby and you lose, you lose. If you play boring rugby and you win, then people are happy. We were totally on the wrong side of that balance on Saturday, and that is not because (attack coach) Tony (Brown) coaches that way. "You tend to think things are easy and there is so much space. Then a proud country like Australia take their opportunities." South Africa will name their second test side on Tuesday.
