INJURY-PRONE stayer Spechenka put Beaudesert trainer Ben Ahrens back in the spotlight with a narrow victory in the listed Caloundra Cup yesterday.
Spechenka, ridden by Ryan Wiggins, stormed home from last to narrowly deny Victorian stayer Gold In Dubai adding the 2400-metre feature to his win in the Ipswich Cup last month. Ahrens, 32, conceded he had almost given up hope with Spechenka this campaign after the five-year-old suffered a horror run of injuries.
The son of Danachenka was originally being set for last month’s Brisbane Cup at Eagle Farm before the wheels fell off his campaign. ”He’s had so many setbacks and we had to keep changing course with him – thankfully we persevered,” Ahrens said.
”He wrenched his fetlock, then had a blood abnormality in the first two setbacks. He then kicked out and cut his pastern, and was kicked by another horse, which required stitches. Then he was kicked again in another incident.”
Ahrens said Spechenka would now target the listed Grafton Cup (2300m) on Thursday week.
The win yesterday was also a triumph for Wiggins, who was riding on a stay of proceedings. Queensland Racing stewards suspended him for 12 meetings after a recent urine sample tested positive to morphine and codeine.
Wiggins has appealed against the ban and claims the reading was the result of taking prescribed pain medication.
■It wasn’t the Stradbroke Handicap and it wasn’t a group 1 but Woorim still showed he has one of Australia’s most devastating finishes with an easy win in the $175,000 Glasshouse Handicap.
Woorim made it back-to-back wins in the listed 1400m sprint when he produced his typical blistering finish to score an easy win and make up for his unlucky defeat in the Stradbroke Handicap on June 11.
”What a rider he is,” Woorim’s owner-breeder Ross Cutts said of jockey Damian Browne.
”And what a horse he is. I am always worried when he gets so far back during the race, but he finishes so brilliantly.”
Woorim ($6) powered to the front passing the 200m and raced away in the closing stages to beat Meet George ($21) by 1¼ lengths, with Phelan Ready ($9) three lengths away in third place.
AAP