The favourite triumphed in this year’s Sale Cup.
Taking to a track rated a Good 3 on Sunday, the 1600 metre race was won by five-year-old gelding Maktoob.
Flemington’s Simon Zahra brought a horse carrying favouritism to Sale Turf Club, and Maktoob showed why his $1.85 starting price was justified, winning by just under a length.
The Ladbrokes Sale Cup (the seventh on the nine-race card), carried a massive $200,000 purse for those who performed admirably.
Keats, paying $6, was the pacemaker and did not waiver until the end, his only challenger for the lead being Maktoob.
Only two other runners had a chance to win – Riyazan and local runner Starspangled Baby, but both were over two lengths away.
Every other runner was over five lengths away as the top two stole the show.
Keats pulled out to a near two-length lead with 200m to go, with Maktoob still in third.
Maktoob flicked up a gear in the final 150m, grabbing the lead and running out to nearly a length ahead to claim the Sale Cup.
Along with the win, he claimed back-to-back successes and $120,000 of the purse.
It wasn’t all lost for Keats, although coming second, taking home $36,000.
Starspangled Baby, trained in Sale by Andrew Perdon, performed admirably, coming fourth in a race carrying plenty of class.
Racing pundits will watch on with interest to see where some of the horses that ran in the Sale Cup go to from here.
The Sale Cup has been a nursery for many future Group 1 winners.
Last year’s Sale Cup winner Uncle Bryn would have got a start in this year’s Caulfield Cup had it not been for injury.
