The brand-new $350,000 TAB Southern Alps Challenge (1600m) was created with the goal of giving lower-profile southern stables their moment in the sun, and the inaugural running at Riccarton on Saturday could hardly have done that better.
The race was won by the underrated local Matscot , whose trainer Sharon Robertson co-bred and part-owns the six-year-old with her partner Alan Reeves and fellow owner Ross Falloon.
There are currently just six horses registered to Robertson's Riccarton stable, which has been credited with a total of 44 winners since the 1994-95 season. Seven of victories have come from Matscot, who delivered a career highlight for Robertson in Saturday's lucrative new race.
Matscot headed into the Southern Alps Challenge as a three-time winner already during the current season, including the Listed Spring Classic (2000m) in October and a last-start success over 1800m. In between times, he finished close up in seventh in the Gr.3 Coupland's Bakeries Mile (1600m), eighth in the Gr.1 TAB Classic (1600m) and sixth in the Gr.3 White Robe Lodge WFA (1600m).
Saturday was Matscot's day. Given a dream ride by Joe Doyle, the Haradasun gelding settled in fourth-last as the highly rated favourite Mystic Park attempted to lead all the way. The field bunched up approaching the home turn, and as the testing Heavy8 track began to take its toll on Mystic Park, Doyle spotted an opening along the rail. He saved a huge amount of ground and drove Matscot through the inside, bursting into the lead with 200m remaining.
Willis and Dazzling Miss chased hard wider out on the track and gave their all to try to run him down, but Matscot kept lifting and held on strongly to win by a length and a half.
Matscot's 26-start career has now produced seven wins, three placings and $336,390 in stakes, with more than half of that prize-money coming from Saturday's $175,000 first prize.
"He's a good horse and he's won a big cheque today," Doyle said. "It's fantastic for the connections.
"This is the type of horse that a small stable dreams about having. They can turn up on a Saturday and have a go for some great money. To get this win today is a fantastic achievement. Well done to the guys.
"They brought him here in absolutely great condition today and he travelled so beautifully during the race. I'd seen in replays that he can be a bit difficult sometimes, but he travelled like a dream today.
"At the 600m, getting off the rail and going out wasn't looking great, so I decided to take the shortcut. I thought we might get a little bit of the money, and then once we got to about the 200m, I realised we were going to get it all!
"Races like this are a great incentive. It's a massive cheque for these people and will go a long way towards running their operation for the next 12 months. Hopefully they can head to the sales now and try to get the next one." .
