The Godolphin-raced Trekking celebrated a second career Group 1 getting up in the final stride to defeat the brave favourite Gytrash in The Goodwood 2020 results at Morphettville.
Trekking (pictured in Melbourne) got up late to win The Goodwood 2020 in Adelaide. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
It shaped-up as one of the best editions of the Group 1 $400,000 The Goodwood (1200m) in recent history and the race didn’t disappoint with a thrilling down-to-the-wire finish between two proven elite level horses.
The James Cummings-trained Trekking was The Goodwood betting market mover with steady money all week coming in for the five-year-old son of Street Cry who looked fit and ready to fire in a recent Flemington jumpout.
After a host of placings last spring including his third in the $14 million The Everest, Trekking was final able to return to winning form in The Goodwood saluting for the first time since his win in the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes (1100m) last October.
The Goodwood was also the horse’s second Group 1 success following his victory in last year’s Stradbroke Handicap in Brisbane.
The Goodwood winner was ridden to victory by local hoop John Allen who celebrated his second Group 1 win of the Adelaide Autumn Racing Carnival following his victory in last Saturday’s SA Derby.
Allen had Trekking positioned midfield the rail throughout as The Goodwood field was led along by the speedy Xilong.
She was reluctant to load but, once in, stepped away beautifully along with last start Morphettville winners Gytrash and Jungle Edge.
Xilong set the pace along the rails and around the turn into the straight belting along with Gordon Richard’s Black Caviar Lightning champ and last start RN Irwin winner Gytrash stalking.
With Xilong starting to fade, the favourite moved up to take the lead at the 200m looking to salute for the punters.
All eyes were soon on the fast-finishing Trekking however as the famous Royal Blue colours of Godolphin flashed home to nail Gytrash in the final bound.
The fellow Godolphin-raced Lyre, prepared by Anthony Freedman, was also in the money finishing third to round out The Goodwood trifecta with the 2019 Blue Diamond winning filly backing-up off her second at the track in the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) a fortnight ago.
Trekking was at $17 in pre-field 2020 Stradbroke Handicap odds at Ladbrokes.com.au to go back-to-back in the Eagle Farm feature on June 6, a price that has subsequently firmed into $9.
Click here for the full all-in Stradbroke Handicap betting markets.
2020 The Goodwood Results
| Place | # | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Barrier | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | TREKKING | James Cummings | John Allen | – | 6 | 58.5kg | $10 |
| 2 | 3 | GYTRASH | Gordon Richards | Jason Holder | 0.1L | 12 | 58.5kg | $3F |
| 3 | 11 | LYRE | Anthony Freedman | Zac Spain | 1.8L | 8 | 54kg | $16 |
| 4 | 9 | BEHEMOTH | David Jolly | Todd Pannell | 2.3L | 7 | 54.5kg | $15 |
| 5 | 8 | ORDER OF COMMAND | Danny O’Brien | Ethan Brown | 2.8L | 2 | 55.5kg | $9.50 |
| 6 | 1 | SANTA ANA LANE | Anthony Freedman | Damien Thornton | 3L | 10 | 59kg | $8 |
| 7 | 12 | XILONG | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | Paul Gatt | 3.6L | 1 | 53.5kg | $26 |
| 8 | 10 | BOLD STAR | Gordon Richards | Ms Kayla Crowther (a) | 4.1L | 4 | 54.5kg | $51 |
| 9 | 14 | AMBERDI | Sue Jaensch | Ms Emily Finnegan | 5.5L | 9 | 52.5kg | $101 |
| 10 | 5 | ZOUTORI | Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra | Lachlan Neindorf (a) | 5.6L | 11 | 57kg | $26 |
| 11 | 4 | SUNLIGHT | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | Barend Vorster | 5.8L | 3 | 57kg | $9 |
| 12 | 7 | THE INEVITABLE | Patrick Payne | Dean Holland | 5.9L | 14 | 56kg | $12 |
| 13 | 15 | LI’L KONTRA | Ryan Balfour | Karl Zechner | 6.1L | 5 | 52kg | $151 |
| 14 | 6 | JUNGLE EDGE | Mick Bell | Ms Georgina Cartwright (a) | 6.8L | 13 | 56kg | $41 |
| – | 13 | FREE OF DEBT | Chris Bieg | Dylan Caboche (a) | – | 0 | – | – |
