Kyneton-trained galloper Barnage was slowly away in a sprint race at Yarra Glen on Thursday, but still found a way to win.
Veteran jockey John Keating did not panic and stuck to the rails, taking a narrow split on the inside in the finishing stages to win by half a length from favourite Mystery Blonde.
Barnage, a six-year-old, was having just his sixth race start and second since last April when Keating rode him to victory at Kyneton.
Hobby trainer Matthew Fsadni is a panel beater with an ambition to become a successful horse trainer.
He was thrilled with Barnage’s run in the $35,000 Hirsch Hill Estate Handicap over 1000 metres, as were the galloper’s group of owners.
Keating was having his first ride since breaking an ankle at a Kyneton meeting in November, and was impressed with Barnage’s performance.
“He’s better than I thought …there’s a lot more improvement there,” he said after the race.
