One of the key support races on The Goodwood Day program in Adelaide today, the Port Adelaide Cup 2014 has been won by Nigel Blackiston’s European import Ominous who made it two from two at Morphettville Racecourse.
Ominous produces a dominant performance to win the 2014 Port Adelaide Cup. Picture: Jenny Barnes
After sitting back off the pace in the $100,000 Listed Mittys Port Adelaide Cup (2500m) the Oasis Dream five-year-old ended up bolting it in over the final few hundred metres.
In a well-timed ride from jockey Dwayne Dunn Ominous ($10) won by just over three lengths from the Damien Oliver-ridden Zabeelionaire ($12) for Kyneton trainer Leon Corstens who held on for second after leading into the straight.
Finishing off the winning Port Adelaide Cup trifecta was then veteran local Vima ($41), the rising eight-year-old improving on two previous sevenths at the track this Adelaide Autumn Racing Carnival to finish in the money as a real roughie.
A fortnight ago the Flemington-based Blackiston bought Ominous over to South Australia where they led all-the-way to win the Medallion Homes Handicap (2000m) by a quarter lengths.
They’d won over the mile and a half, and had been competitive up to 2600m, back in Great Britain two years ago – staying form they returned to here.
Relishing a step up to 2500m they ran out the distance without a worry setting themselves up as a possible spring cups contender back home later in the year.
Away well from the barriers and leading the Port Adelaide Cup field today was Mujadale from their inside barrier two draw in their favourite position as pace maker.
They led from Zabeelionaire, coming off a disappointing 13th in the Easter Cup at Caulfield last month, who had moved up to second at around the 2000m mark, race favourite Le Roi doing it tough out wide in fourth just behind Dylanson.
At the back of the straight Vima started to press third to get into third while Bredlign went up to hit the front with Mujadale, the duo eventually dropping out to run eighth and 10th respectively.
Going into the home straight Zabeelionaire went up quickly to take the lead, still at the front with 250m left to travel before Ominous and Dunn swooped late.
The eventual Port Adelaide Cup winner got into the mix and quickly put the result to bed racing away for an easy win.
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2014 Port Adelaide Cup Results & Finishing Order
Morphettville Race 4 – 10/05/2014
| Place | # | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Br. | Wgt. | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | OMINOUS (GB) | Nigel Blackiston | Dwayne Dunn | – | 5 | 54kg | $10 |
| 2 | 3 | ZABEELIONAIRE (NZ) | Leon Corstens | Damien Oliver | 3.2L | 7 | 57.5kg | $12 |
| 3 | 7 | VIMA | Bill Papazaharoudakis | Justin Potter | 3.5L | 13 | 54kg | $41 |
| 4 | 5 | DISTILLATION | Nick Smart | Simon Price | 4.7L | 10 | 55kg | $19 |
| 5 | 15 | WAR IS OVER | John Hyam | Ms Jamie Kah (a) | 5.7L | 11 | 54kg | $61 |
| 6 | 1 | LE ROI (GER) | Tony McEvoy | Luke Nolen | 5.9L | 8 | 60kg | $3.50F |
| 7 | 2 | ESCADO | Matt Laurie | Ben Melham | 6.7L | 2 | 58kg | $4.20 |
| 8 | 12 | BREDLIGN (NZ) | Sue Murphy | Jake Toeroek (a) | 8.5L | 9 | 54kg | $41 |
| 9 | 8 | DYLANSON | Phillip Stokes | Dom Tourneur | 9.4L | 4 | 54kg | $5.50 |
| 10 | 6 | MUJADALE | Paul A Jones | Ms Linda Meech | 10.6L | 1 | 54.5kg | $5.50 |
| 11 | 11 | LENNYBE | Bill W Williams | Jason Holder | 18.4L | 6 | 54kg | $31 |
| 12 | 13 | TOMMY TWO | Jim Smith | Joe Bowditch | 29.7L | 3 | 54kg | $41 |
| 13 | 14 | BERLIOZ (NZ) | Bill W Williams | Ronnie Stewart | 35.3L | 12 | 54kg | $101 |
| – | 16 | TERRIFIC FLAIR | Richard Jolly | Dean Yendall | – | 0 | – | – |
| – | 4 | SHINY BUTTONS | Darren Weir | Brad Rawiller | – | 0 | – | – |
| – | 10 | ELLDAMI | Phillip Stokes | Matthew Neilson | – | 0 | – | – |
