Retirement off the cards for McRae’s Sarona Downs

Sarona Downs at Goulburn
Sarona Downs at Goulburn after a handicap win in 2013. (Bradley Photos)
A STRONG breakaway win from eight-year-old Sarona Downs has put off retirement plans for the Allan McRae gelding.

In a small field at Leeton, the horse found the front early and was never headed, tearing away from the field in the latter stages of the race to record a comfortable victory to return +550 at Crownbet.com.au.

Adolescent and Wild Irish Boy rounded out the placings in a four-strong field but did not deliver a return, while race favourite Brightly Goes never mounted a challenge and finished at the back.

Sarona Downs has entered a rich vein of form in the tail end of its career, and McRae said there are no plans to take the horse off the competitive circuit while it is still racing so well.

“We were contemplating retirement maybe two starts ago,” McRae told HorseBetting.com.au.

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“He’s in the twilight of his career, but if he keeps getting the cheque and keeps trying his best we’ll be keeping him in.”

The win was Sarona Downs’ seventh in 52 attempts, continuing a sensational run of form which has seen it either win or place in four of its last eight races.

McRae believes the race was won straight out of the gate.

“It was all won probably in the first 50m,” the trainer explained.

“When he got to the front I thought he would be hard to get past. The worry for me was something kicking up and holding him wide, even in the smaller field.

“Fortunately we got across onto the fence and he just kept kicking.”

Worklocker Australia BM65 result (22/08/2017)

1st Sarona Downs (+550)
2nd Adolescent (NTD)
3rd Wild Irish Boy (NTD)

Quinella – +1090
Trifecta – +5140
First Four – +4850

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