RNSW_Oct 21_Col_W

www.racingnsw.com.au 28 KEMBLA GRANGE High class gallopers target The Gong I TC’s CEO, Peter De Vries said: “We have only had two episodes of the race and the fields each time have been first class. There are a number of top shelf horses set for this year’s race so we’re excited to see how this year’s The Gong will shape up.” Team Hawkes ‘resurrection’ job, Archedemus, toughed it out to win the second running of The Gong at Kembla Grange last year. Co-trainer Michael Hawkes said the stable was asked by late owner Ross Williams to first take Group 1 winner Angel of Truth over, then Archedemus was thrown into the mix after 12 months of indifferent form. Meanwhile, Kembla Grange stables took the Sydney Spring Carnival by storm with a remarkable Chelmsford Stakes Day at Royal Randwick last month. A pair of Group 2 victories came back down the Princes Motorway with trainer Kerry Parker, as well as Robert and Luke Price sharing in the success at Royal Randwick. Parker’s stable star Think It Over enhanced his status as a genuine top liner when capturing the $250,000 Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) while the Price family had success with the speedy filly Jamaea in the $200,000 Gr 2 Furious Stakes (1200m). The victory was Think It Over’s fourth stakes victory in a whirlwind past 12 months with a pair of Group 3s and a Group 1 George Ryder Stakes already on his résumé. The star son of So You Think knuckled down late to add his Group 2 with jockey Nash Rawiller producing a typically strong riding effort late in the feature to help wear down tough front-runner Riodini in the concluding stages. “There are plenty of supporters out there and it was a good, tough win,” Parker said. “At the top of the straight I thought he was going to pick up the leader quicker than he did, but credit to the inside horse who kept kicking. “My bloke had a little bit of help from Nash and has stuck his head out on the line. “When he popped out with 300m to go I was pretty confident he would run over the top of him, ILLAWARRA TURF CLUB OFFICIALS EXPECT A CRACK FIELD TO LINE UP IN THIS YEAR’S $1 MILLION THE GONG (1600M) TO BE RUN ON SATURDAY 20TH NOVEMBER PICTURES: BRADLEY PHOTOGRAPHERS Jay Ford and Archedemus (cerise) holds off Dawn Passage (Tim Clark) to win the $1M The Gong at Kembla Grange