Punt Drunk: Tokoriki Lad up to his old tricks, Sky stinks it up
On this Monday edition of Punt Drunk, the team dissects what was a busy weekend of racing. Although off-season racing in the three big states was the order of the day on Saturday, plenty was going on. From a notorious biter, to a dodgy photo finish, to a ding-dong battle up the straight, the weekend that was had it all.
HUNGRY LAD
Horses have their quirks – that’s for sure – but possibly none more so than the Tony Gollan-trained Tokoriki Lad. The seven-year-old gelding has never fired a shot in seven first-up runs, but he took his A-game to Eagle Farm on Saturday in his first run for the preparation, coming from last to win the race.
In true Tokoriki Lad fashion, he tried to have a bite out of what was next to him. Usually, it’s the horse alongside him – but this time, it was fresh air. The antics baffled jockey Stephanie Thornton, who made up for a stinker of a ride earlier in the day on stablemate Lethal Warning, but the win baffled nobody more than his trainer, Tony Gollan. Despite previously never placing over 1200m, never placing fresh and rarely running well at Eagle Farm, Gollan expected his galloper to just be there for a run.
Tokoriki Lad!
Famous for biting his opposition and now ghosts?🤣 pic.twitter.com/JePgfypoJ0— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 16, 2022
CLOSE GO
The last race at Flemington on Saturday went down to the wire. Nicolini Vito and The Brumby hit the line together in the 1200m sprint race, and if you couldn’t split them live, you had deadset zero chance of splitting them when Sky Racing’s broadcast showed the photo finish. If punters don’t get shafted enough on Sky – being bumped to Sky 2 and watching races on split-screen is bad enough – this was the icing on the cake.
Saturdays can be a fair old slog for punters, so when the last race of the day comes around, we want to be able to see the result, collect our funds and call it a day. This just isn’t good enough from the boys and girls at ‘The Red Channel’.
Incredibly close photo. Thanks Sky. pic.twitter.com/edQY3IOHJ2
— Tom Haylock (@thaylock) July 16, 2022
AN EPIC FINISH
The curtain closed on Hong Kong racing for another season on Saturday at Sha Tin, and it was once again a thrilling finish to the jockeys’ premiership between Joao Moreira and Zac Purton. Heading into the afternoon all tied up, Purton was able to get the upper hand throughout proceedings. In race eight, Moreira needed to win to keep his title dreams alive, and despite looking like the winner halfway up the straight, Purton wasn’t going to give in that easily.
Purton’s mount set out after Moreira’s in the shadows of the post, getting the head down on the line to give Aussie Zac a fifth Hong Kong Jockeys’ Premiership. While that individual race was just a standard 1600m event, the way it was run and won was a fitting finale to the season. Purton – 1, Moreira – 2, Daylight – 3.
“Purton wins the race, Purton wins the premiership.”@zpurton wins the @HKJC_Racing Jockey Premiership! 🏆#HKRacing pic.twitter.com/IEwyewpiF3
— Racing.com (@Racing) July 16, 2022
About Punt Drunk
Welcome to Punt Drunk – our daily column covering all the latest horse racing and punting controversies, dramas and headline news. Have a story or gripe or issue that just grinds your gears? Just hit us up in the comments or contact us page and our jaded, punt hardened Punt Drunk staff will give it the Punt Drunk treatment it deserves. Don’t expect pleasantries or typical racing media fanboy gloss from Punt Drunk – we’re on the punt and we don’t have time to bullshit; the next is about to jump…
