$41 roughie causes boilover in last Sydney 2YO race of season

Sydney’s last two-year-old race of the season was expected to be a spring pointer, but the winner Iron Hawk caused a major boilover at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.

Iron Hawk (white) finishes best to overhaul, from the inside, Alpine Ski, Qatars Choice and Silmarillion. Picture: Bradley Photos

Sydney’s last two-year-old race of the season was expected to be a spring pointer, but the winner Iron Hawk caused a major boilover at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.

The race was expected to be a three-way battle between the Godolphin pair Alpine Ski and stakes-placed filly Silmarillion and Ciaron Maher’s regally-bred filly Qatars Choice.

But, it was the $41 outsider, a $220,000 yearling purchase by Written Tycoon, that stormed up the inside of his three more fancied rivals to save himself from a veterinary appointment in the days ahead.

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“This horse has been pretty difficult to get to the track,” Iron Hawk’s trainer Gary Portelli said.

“He’s shown us a lot of ability but has gone shin sore a couple of times, even out at the tie-ups today I had all sorts of trouble getting the saddle on him then when he got into the birdcage he was quite colty.

“I was concerned he wasn’t going to put it together again and he was on the list for the vets.”

During the first half of the race, Iron Hawk was making heavy weather of holding his spot three back on the inside before switching on in the straight and charging along the inside while still running about.

At the line, Iron Hawk ($41) defeated Silmarillion ($2.30 fav) by three-quarters of a length with a long-head back to Qatars Choice ($4.40) in third with Alpine Ski ($2.80) a short half head away, with 2¾ lengths back to fifth.

The Hawk swoops! 💥

Iron Hawk wins at BIG odds for @GaryPortelli up along the inside in Race 2 at Warwick Farm. pic.twitter.com/3hZMuxqWha

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 31, 2024

“He was quite convincing,” jockey Reece Jones said of Iron Hawk.

“I think he’s pretty progressive because I think he’s still got plenty of improvement to come.

“He’s still learning his craft and hopefully he’ll have taken plenty from today’s good experience.”

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Kerrin McEvoy, rider of Silmarillion also suggested punters shouldn’t be too harsh on his mount’s defeat.

“She’ll come on from the run today,” he said.

“She’s still not there in the coat so there’s plenty of improvement to come.”

Portelli said there are no firm plans for Iron Hawk but the colt’s debut performance will result in more doors being opened in the weeks ahead.

“The way he won today, there might be a nice race in him,” he said.

“There is plenty of upside to this horse because he doesn’t know what he’s there for just yet.

“What we’ve been seeing at home and what he’s been showing in the trials are two different things.

“He runs anything at trackwork and it was good to see trackwork turn up today.

“It’s good to get a number one up for the Trilogy team who have entrusted us with some really nice horses this season.”

Originally published as $41 roughie causes boilover in last Sydney 2YO race of season