Mr Marathon Man outlasts them in the TAB Canberra Cup

A $70,000 pick up via the Inglis Digital sales, Mr Marathon Man has paid himself off and then some by winning the 2021 $250,000 TAB Canberra Cup. After a delayed start due to a fractious horse at the gates, the Listed contest over 2000m proved to be worth the wait with the Richard Litt-trained Mr Marathon Man hitting the line alongside the fast finishing Dadoozdart. Blessed with the perfect run, Irish jocket Robbie Dolan timed his run perfectly to beat an impressive field of stayers. The win is both Richard Litt and Robbie Dolans’s first in the Canberra Cup.

The Iron Jack Canberra Guineas featured some talented three-year-olds but it was the Annabel Neasham-trained Equation that proved the strongest under a wonderful steer from champion jockey Tommy Berry. Sent around as an odds on favourite, the Press Statement colt was too good for placegetters High Superemecy and Kermanding. Equation has now won four of his five starts and looks to have an exciting future.

Day 2 of the Canberra Carnival, TAB Canberra Cup Day proved to be another good day for the locals with four from eight winners coming from Thoroughbred Park stables. This takes the tally of local victories to nine across the 16 races of the Carnival that has featured runners from some of the countries top stables.

Earlier in the day, Matthew Dale collected his second win for the Carnival when the Turffontein mare Propose To Me won a strong Benchmark 75 over the mile. Propose To Me took the inside alley under Jason Collett to beat Silent Agenda by half a legnth.

It was a Nick Olive quinella in the Turfcare Australia Handicap with The Deepest Secret scoring over stablemate, and well-known bridesmaid Jack The Brumby. It is Jack The Brumby’s sixth second placing from eight starts.

Despite a number of official delays on TAB Canberra Cup Day firstly due to the rail needing to be moved and then lightning, the Canberra Day long weekend produced a fantastic two days of racing, with the 2021 Canberra Carnival returned over $1.2m in prizemoney to particicants. The Carnival featured the top seven jockeys in the New South Wales Metro Premiership with James McDonald, Tommy Berry, Rachel King, Nash Rawiller and Jason Collett each leaving the nation’s capital with at least one winner.

 

Mr Marathon wins the 2021 TAB Canberra Cup