Cambridge trainer Roger James has always held a high opinion of four-year-old gelding Delago’s Secret.
and the promising stayer repaid that faith as he made the leap to elite company with a gritty win in the Gr. 3 Scot Thrust City Of Auckland Cup at Ellerslie.
Patiently handled in his current campaign, the son of Encosta De Lago put the writing on the wall that he was ready for a breakthrough performance after rattling home for fourth in the Gr. 3 Waikato Gold Cup at his last start.
His conqueror that day was Surpass and fittingly it was the same pair who set down to wage war in the home straight again with Delago's Secret turning the tables on his rival by a bare head after a titanic struggle in the closing stages of the contest. Show The World battled strongly into third with central districts visitor Sampson defying a tough run on the pace to hold fourth.“It was a great effort today as he was wide throughout the race wherever he went,” noted James.
“I thought Danielle did a good job as the barrier did her no favours but she got some cover instead of being four wide and tracked into the race at the right time.“He showed plenty of ticker so full marks to the horse.”
Rider Danielle Johnson was quick to explain the ride to James as she dismounted in the winner’s circle.“I couldn’t get in but I was following the favourite so I thought that was better than being even wider,” she said.
“He did a super job and fought all the way to the line.”Runner-up Surpass was brave in defeat, having also spent the race trapped wide in midfield and didn’t shirk his task after taking the lead turning for home.
The race wasn’t without incident with rider Michael McNab being dislodged from his mount The Fire Inside when racing in tight quarters around the home bend. Medical staff were quickly on the scene with the rider, who had scored aboard Light Shadow earlier in the day, immediately transferred to hospital for observation although he was conscious when placed in the ambulance.
