Paratroopers Lays Down The Gauntlet
Saturday, 19 August 2006:  | | Paratroopers and Racing To Win |
Paratroopers will take a good deal of benefit from his first-up win after he fought hard to hold off the honest mares Imana and Johan's Toy in the Group 2 event over 1200m.
Favoured by the wfa conditions, Paratroopers sat third and peeled around the leaders turning for home where he looked to be full of running.
However he was tested in the last 100 metres when Imana came at him with jockey Darren Beadman ensuring the big gelding did enough to last by a diminishing margin.
Beadman was adamant Paratroopers will be much fitter for his next start which is likely to be at Rosehill again in the Theo Marks Stakes on September 9.
The Epsom Handicap has been mentioned as his Sydney carnival target but trainer John Hawkes may consider switch him to Melbourne for the Dubai Racing Cup at Caulfield.
The Epsom is also the target for Racing To Win, who inflicted the only Rosehill defeat on Paratroopers in six starts at the track in the George Ryder Stakes in the autumn.
Racing To Win will resume in next week's Warwick Stakes at Randwick and also has the Epsom on his agenda before he goes to Melbourne.
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