News

Local Trainer Takes Out Fourth $100,000 Inglis 2YO Challenge

15th May 2015

Rod Northam saddled Sargent Doakes to win the $100,000 Inglis 2YO Challenge on the opening day of the 2015 Scone Cup Carnival, Australia’s richest country racing carnival. The win marks the fourth Challenge victory in six years for the local trainer, who was elated about the result.

“I target this race every year, and I was confident he could do the job, and he did just that,” said Northam.

”We wanted to get to the outside and an opportunity came and he was able to, and he finished off really strongly,” Northam said.

After two consecutive wins at his home track and an unlucky 6th on a heavy track at Muswellbrook earlier this month, the gelding drew barrier one and jumped as second favourite. Despite easing into the race, jockey Robert Thompson was confident there was enough power to finish strongly.

“He was just a little bit slow out, he’s not a real fast horse early but I got to mid field and I was happy there but coming to the home corner I had to steady a little bit and wait, until I got to the outside and then half way up the straight I was able to get him out into the middle of the track and he really knuckled down,“ Thompson said.

“I know he’s only a little bloke but he’s got a pretty big heart,” added Thompson.

Bred by Miss J Henderson, Sargent Doakes (I Am Invincible x Momoco) was a $40,000 purchase for his part-owner Troy Sargent from the Middlebrook Station draft at the 2014 Inglis HTBA Scone Yearling Sale. The same year, the gelding failed to meet his reserve of $40,000 at the Inglis The Star Ready2Race Sale. Today’s win takes Sargent Doakes’ earnings past $100,000 across four starts for three wins, but Northam isn’t sending him to the paddock just yet.

“After today he’s probably looking for 1200m, so we’ll probably look for a two-year-old race in Sydney over that distance,” said Northam.

“He’s better on a dry track so we’ll watch the weather and decide where to go from here,” Northam said.

Along with the prizemoney, Northam received his fourth set of Swarovski Optik EL 42 Swarovision binoculars, and Thompson and the winning connections received great prizes from Antler Luggage.

209 yearlings, including four by sire of Sargent Doakes, I Am Invincible, have been catalogued for the 2015 Inglis HTBA Scone Yearling Sale which commences at 10:30am this Sunday 17 May at White Park.

The 2015 Inglis HTBA Scone Yearling Sale catalogue can be viewed online at inglis.com.au and on the Inglis Sales iPad App.

All yearlings purchased at the Inglis HTBA Scone Yearling Sale are eligible to be entered in the $5 million Inglis Race Series which includes the $100,000 Inglis 2YO Challenge. CLICK HERE to download the nomination form.