Tango Jewel blasted her way to consecutive city victories when she led throughout to land the Tobin Brothers Celebrating Lives BM64 Hcp (1200m) at Caulfield.
Apprentice Ryan Houston used his three-kilo claim on the mare who was able burn off the field early and withstand a barrage of late challenges to score in blanket finish.
A market drifter to $7, Tango Jewel held on by a half neck from Thunder Award ($3.70) and Inexorable ($6) who has. Half head away third, centimetres in front of the $3.30 favourite Catahoula.
Tango Jewel has now won three city races, including two at Sandown, but had trainer Jamie Edwards scratching his head when she finished last, third last and last at her three runs last campaign.
“We thought we would go from city midweek to Saturday grade with her last preparation, but she was terrible.
Jamie said he took the soft option with her first up when she finished third at Avoca in March and she had trained on strongly to win her next two runs at Sandown ands Caulfield.
He said Ryan Houston’s ’s three kilo claim probably was the difference between winning and losing on Wednesday.
“She was penalised 2.5kg for her last win so with Ryan’s allowance she actually carried a half kilo less in the same grade as a couple of weeks ago,” Jamie said.
Ryan said he was mindful that the early sections he was carving out on Tango Jewel were “quite quick”, but he wasn’t overly worried as she was in a good rhythm.
“I wanted to get away on the corner which she did, and she finished off well,” Ryan said
Jamie said her city winning times over 1200m were consistent with her clocking 1m10.83 when she scored in February last year and 1m10.99 and 1m10.75 at her last two starts respectively.
“She’s a bit of a point and shoot horse,” Jamie said.
“Everybody in the grandstand knows how she’s going to get ridden and they were always going to find it hard to run her down, especially when the favourites got back.”
Hopefully Tango Jewel can hold her form and get some weight relief as she gets some weight relief as she rises in grade this winter.
She has now won four races and placed another five times in 15 starts for her owners Ross and Margaret O’Callaghan who paid $10,000 for Tango Jewel at the 2020 Inglis Great Southern Sale.
The daughter of Winning Rupert and Modern Etiquette is proving bargain buy having earned so far $142,510.