Gordon Richards has his eyes on the autumn with exciting SA three-year-old Garner

South Australian thoroughbred Garner is set to take trainer Gordon Richards on an exciting ride this autumn after saluting at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day.

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Garner continued South Australian racing’s stellar spring with a dominant win down the Flemington straight on Melbourne Cup day.

Trainer Gordon Richards will give the exciting three-year-old a well-earned break and focus on the autumn after recording his third win from six starts.

“This is it, it’s only his first prep and he’s done a mighty job,’’ Richards said.

“He’ll go to the paddock and come back for autumn.”

Garner has come a long way in short space of time since debuting at Morphettville in June.

He had excuses when beaten into second stop in his first two starts in Adelaide, before triumphing over Hearty Lass at Morphettville and following that with a smart Caulfield win in September.

Dwayne Dunn rides Garner to victory in the Schweppervescence Plate during 2019 Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty

Richards said there were also reasons to forgive why during last time out in Adelaide he chased home Tony and Calvin McEvoy’s Xilong to finish second.

“I think the other day, a slower run race over 1200m he wasn’t at his best...having said that the winner was pretty smart,’’ Richards added, before paying tribute to another perfect Cup Day ride by former SA hoop Dwayne Dunn.

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“He likes chasing, I thought he was a little closer (in the run) than what I would have expected, but that’s why you put jockeys on.”

Fellow locals Little Rich Boy (fifth) and Sizzlefly (sixth) also ran well in what has been a huge few days for SA racing.

Dwayne Dunn rides Garner to victory in the Schweppervescence Plate during 2019 Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington. Picture: Morgan Hancock/Getty

Adelaide horses Kemalpasa and Dalasan won two of the first four races on Derby Day including the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes, while Sunlight finished second in the $7.5 million Golden Eagle in Sydney with David Jolly’s Behemoth running fourth.

That was only topped by leading local breeders Mill Park Stud producing the winner of the $1.5m Victorian Derby in Warning, who was sold at the 2018 Adelaide Magic Millions Yearling Sale for just $65,000.

“We’ve done well haven’t we, perhaps we’re not that bad,’’ Richard quipped.

Originally published as Gordon Richards has his eyes on the autumn with exciting SA three-year-old Garner