It was a magic result for Lara-based trainer Darren Brown and owner-breeder Brian Parkinson last night as two of their young kennel stars ran the quinella in the $60,000 Group 2 Warrnambool Classic (450m).
In an intensely close finish, the $2.30 favourite Cosmic Chief held off their littermate Cosmic Diva ($12.70) by a mere half-head while Corretja ($12.10) finished a further 1 ¾ lengths away in third.
Brown had two other runners in the Classic final, Cosmic Planet ($8.90), who finished a respectable fifth beaten by just over two lengths, and Cosmic Brigid ($6.20) who was a well-beaten seventh.
The $1,200 fee it cost Parkinson to nominate the four littermates for the series was more than returned as they took out not only the $60,000-to-the-winner first prize but the runner-up winnings too.
Cosmic Chief (Brett Lee x Cosmic Goddess) has now won 12 of their 27 career starts for over $100,000 in prizemoney.
NOVA SURF WINS WARRNAMBOOL CUP
The other major race at the meeting was the $28,000 Group 2 Warrnambool Cup (450m) where prolific trainer Darren McDonald’s Nova Surf coasted to an impressive victory ahead of a classy field of rivals including her two more favoured kennelmates Gardam Prince and Goodesy.
In a classic all-the-way win, Nova Surf ($7.40) beat home the speedy Heather Collins-trained bitch Arsonist ($20.80) by 4 ¼ lengths with the classy Fedex ($4.30) a further ½ length away in third.
The hot pre-race favourite Goodesy ($2.60) was a well beaten fifth behind fourth placegetter and kennelmate Gardam Prince ($7).
The win, McDonald’s second Warrnambool Cup victory after his success with Axe Handle (2007), was Nova Surf’s 18th from 32 career starts and the $28,000 first prize elevated her total prizemoney to $95,000.
2010 Warrnambool Classic Results
Place |
Dog |
Trainer |
Margin |
| 1 | COSMIC CHIEF | D J Brown | - |
| 2 | COSMIC DIVA | D J Brown | 0.05 |
| 3 | CORRETJA | A Langton | 1.50 |
| 4 | GREYSYND THUNDER | P C Anderton | 1.55 |
| 5 | COSMIC PLANET | D J Brown | 2.25 |
| 6 | CHUNKA CHANGE | R B Gilmore | 3.75 |
| 7 | COSMIC BRIGID | D J Brown | 6.00 |
| 8 | YOUNG GAZZA | K H Turner | 6.25 |
2010 Warrnambool Cup Results
Place |
Dog |
Trainer |
Margin |
| 1 | NOVA SURF | D N McDonald | - |
| 2 | ARSONIST | H L Collins | 4.25 |
| 3 | FEDEX | J Thompson | 4.75 |
| 4 | GARDAM PRINCE | D N McDonald | 5.25 |
| 5 | GOODESY | D N McDonald | 7.50 |
| 6 | FANTASY PHOENIX | A L Dailly | 9.25 |
| = 7 | PAPA COOL | T Cortese | 9.50 |
| = 7 | RUFF IT | T W Brett | 9.50 |
