Kyneton trainer George Osborne was full of praise for jockey John Allen after Chase Award’s narrow victory on Sunday.
The four-year-old got up in the last few strides to win the Global Turf Class 1 Handicap over 1400m on the Ballarat Synthetic track.
Having been devoid of luck since winning a Seymour Maiden with Allen aboard on December, Chase Award settled on the fence behind the leaders, and Allen made his move entering the straight and it became a two-horse war to the finish.
Osborne said it was Allen’s ability and strength to lift Chase Award over the line that made the difference between winning and losing, acknowledging the galloper has ability and also “tries hard”.
The first two placegetters dominated betting in the six-horse field, so much so that the quinella paid a miserly $1.20.
Runner-up Rogues Point started odds-on, with Chase Award at even money.
Osborne races the winner in partnership with loyal stable client Alex Babuskis, and the victory took the gelding’s earnings to $47,285 from seven starts.
