Mahaffey on Triple Crown Road

Mon, July 05 2010

MAHAFFEY Road proved at Fannie Bay yesterday that fairytales do come true.

The three-year-old completed a stunning rise from the scrap heap to ultimate glory with a devastating and forever memorable front-running win in the $55,000 Mix 104.9 Darwin Guineas (1600m).

Only 58 days ago, Mahaffey Road was a humble maiden with only two unplaced starts to his name, but four wins later he is the toast of the Top End and now has the Triple Crown in his sights.

"Unbelievable," was the response from a visibly emotional owner Russell Simpson.

For Simpson, Guineas glory rewarded the faith he had in the son of Adventurous, who he was told on more than one occasion was no good.

Simpson, one of the great supporters of Darwin Racing, shared the win with his wife Kathy, the other part-owner of Mahaffey Road. For Gary Clarke, it was his first Guineas success as a trainer, some 11 years after he won the race as a jockey aboard Nystrom.

"You know we still haven't got to the bottom of him yet, that's the exciting thing," Clarke said.

"We'll go onto the Derby now, but we'll celebrate this one first. I'm just so happy for Russell because he has backed 'Gunna' all the way."

For winning jockey Richie Oakford, the success repaid all the sacrifices he made to return to the saddle after a 15-year hiatus, winning his first Darwin Cup Carnival feature race.

"It's days like today that make it worth coming back for," Oakford said.

"I won a Pioneer Sprint (in Alice Springs) many years ago, but this is right up with that."

Oakford signalled intentions from the get-go when Mahaffey Road jumped well to take an early lead and after a sweet passage throughout, raced away for a dominant four-and-a-half-length success.

"He just cruised the whole way - it was sensational," he said. "He thrived on being at the front and at about the 800m mark I got him moving because I didn't want to be caught napping. Once I gave him the little click up, he responded and the rest was history.

"Turning for home I thought it was looking good and at about the 200m I said they weren't going to pick me up."

For his three previous wins, Mahaffey Road had earned an even $30,000, but that tally was put into the shade by the $36,300 first prize for yesterday's victory. Faster Buster ($7) was resolute in defeat and was a brave runner-up, thanks to a good ride from Paul Shiers, who was denied his fifth successive Guineas by a truly remarkable horse.

Macca's Dream ($10) stuck to his guns for third ahead of Rafa, who made good ground late.

The luckless Jerrykooler lost few admirers, running a gutsy fifth after travelling wide the trip from his outside alley, with favourite Flying Spin ($5 to $4) off the pace in sixth place.

Story Courtesy Gregor Mactaggart - NT News