Gobstopper wins 2017 Christchurch Casino Nz Cup Group 3 NZ$250,000 at Riccarton Park (NZ), 3200m.
Samantha Spratt, aboard Gobstopper, caught the field napping in an all-the-way staying effort to win convincingly. They led with a round to go, stretched the lead heading down the back straight and were eight lengths clear at the half-way mark.
Spratt allowed the field to close within a half length at the 800m holding that lead until the 400m. Despite doing all the work, they were going as well as any and Spratt drove hard and Gobstopper found more and came away to outstay them by three and a half lengths, his sixth win and first at black type level.
Pentathlon was the only runner to make a race of it, challenged at the 400m but merely battled on, unable to get past from Kaharau, who was midfield turning in and ran on fairly for third. The first three were clear of the rest.
