News

New stars of Sydney racing

8th Jun 2009

The Daily Telegraph - Ray Thomas - Sunday, 8 June 2009

THE names of trainers Jason Coyle and Con Karakatsanis and jockey Tye Angland don't exactly roll off the tongue, but Sydney racing got a glimpse of the future at Eagle Farm last Saturday.

Coyle, 30, and Karakatsanis, 24, pulled off Group One successes, while 19-year-old Angland produced an inspired ride to win his first major.

They are all unassuming, quietly confident and on the cusp of successful careers.

With the backing of Nathan Tinkler's massive Patinack Farm racing and breeding operation, Coyle is set to dominate Sydney racing.

A premiership title might be beyond him next season but in another two or three years Coyle will be challenging Gai Waterhouse, Peter Snowden and Chris Waller.

He has done a huge job at the helm of Patinack since taking over last December. When everyone was waiting for Coyle to fail, he has earned respect for his horsemanship, hard work - and his results.

Coyle's Group One T J Smith Plate win with Linky Dink, ridden by stable jockey and acclaimed big-race rider Peter Robl, was the trainer's second major for the season. He also won the Champagne Stakes with promising Onemorenomore.

"It's been a great six months and to win two Group One two-year-old races with a colt and a filly is pretty special," Coyle said.

"Linky Dink is a filly we always had an opinion of, I know Peter (Robl) thought she was very promising. We will look at setting her for races like the Flight Stakes, Thousand Guineas and (Victoria) Oaks in the spring.

"Onemorenomore has only just come back into work and his spring program will be aimed at the Caulfield Guineas and possibly the Cox Plate."

Karakatsanis combined with Angland to win the Stradbroke Handicap with Black Piranha, the culmination of an extraordinary six months for the trainer-jockey combination.

Black Piranha emerged from midweek company in Sydney to win two major races in Queensland in January, returned to run second in the George Ryder Stakes and Doncaster Mile during Sydney's autumn carnival, and then backed up with a second in the Doomben 10,000 before his Stradbroke triumph.

Karakatsanis has done a superb job taking the horse from virtual obscurity to a legitimate Group One performer. The trainer has kept Black Piranha in full work through this period and the gelding has maintained form. In fact, he's gotten better as his preparation has gone on.

"We will give him a good spell now and then set him for the Cox Plate," Karakatsanis said.

"I'm confident he will stay the mile and a quarter (2000m) because he is so relaxed."

Karakatsanis also has Cox Plate ambitions for his stable star this year.

Angland has gone along for the ride and produced some efforts on Black Piranha that would make the likes of Oliver, Brown, Boss and Bowman proud.

He simply hasn't made a mistake on Black Piranha and was rewarded with a Stradbroke win.