Thoroughbred Racing NT CEO Andrew O’Toole: Budget King a smart bet in Darwin Cup after easy Bridge Toyota Cup victory

HE might have run last in the Darwin Cup last year, but Budget King left pundits with no question marks on his credentials leading into the 2021 edition. That was after his comfortable win in the $50,000 Bridge Toyota Cup (1600m) at Fannie Bay.It also signalled trainer Garry Lefoe Jr moving on from a tumultuous June which involved a costly fine.

Bridge Toyota Cup winner Budget King. Picture: Caroline Camilleri

HE might have run last in the Darwin Cup last year, but Budget King left pundits with no question marks on his credentials leading into the 2021 edition.

That was after his comfortable win on Wednesday.

The four-year-old cruised to a two-length win for Garry Lefoe Jr in the $50,000 Bridge Toyota Cup (1600m) at Fannie Bay, jockey Paul Shiers leaving Kym Healy’s I Am Impinge (Sairyn Fawke in the saddle) in his wake.

“Budget King is now a live Darwin Cup chance – there’s no doubt about that,” Thoroughbred Racing NT CEO Andrew O’Toole said.

“He’s a pretty smart horse with a good trainer and jockey.”

RELATED NT NEWS SPORT STORIES

Trainer Nicole Bruggemann overjoyed to win Chief Minister’s Cup with Highly Decorated

Darwin trainer Garry Lefoe Jr wins Alice Springs Cup on his first attempt with I Am The Fox, with another great Jason Lyon ride

Budget King timed his run beautifully after taking the lead over the first 300m

He then dropped back to third, before finding an impressive turn of speed on the straight with 200m remaining.

The victory showcased the gelding’s rapid maturity over the space of just 12 months, after finishing 10th from the 10 runners in the 2020 Darwin Cup.

“Maybe last year was a little too early for him as a three-year-old turning four,” O’Toole said.

“He won the NT Derby in the lead-up to last year’s Cup, but that was only over 1600m, and that was his preparation.

“He seems to have come back bigger and stronger this year.”

Wednesday was a big day for this year’s Alice Springs Cup-winning trainer Lefoe Jr, continuing his excellent form by overseeing two other victors – Snows Bro (jockey Jason Lyon in the $20,000 Karen Brown Fine Art Handicap over 1100m) and Southern Bolt (Paul Denton in the $20,000 Toyota Finance Handicap over 1300m).

The hat-trick of wins meant Lefoe Jr has well and truly put last month’s $10,000 fine from TRNT behind him, after prohibited substances were found in his mare Ima Puppet’s urine samples in April.

During a stable inspection conducted on April 15, stewards took possession of two bottles of a compounded product labelled “altrenogest in soybean oil” which were prescribed by a veterinarian.

Samples of those two oil products were analysed by the Australian Racing Forensic Laboratory and found to contain differing levels of trenbolone and trendione.

During the stable inspection, Lefoe Jr provided detailed treatment records for Ima Pupet, which confirmed that he had been administering the product orally, but not in accordance with the recommendations provided in June 2018 warnings.

The stewards were satisfied after considering the veterinary and scientific evidence that the administration of this altrenogest product was the likely cause of the prohibited substance detection.

“(Lefoe) had two bottles of altrenogest which were analysed and one of which had 60 to 70 per cent more prohibited substance than the other,” a statement issued by NT Racing Appeals Trubunal Chaiman, Tom Paulings, said.

“Assuming that to have been the bottle from which the application was drawn up around 6pm on February 18 (the post-race urine sample was taken after winning at Fannie Bay on February 19) that likely would explain how the prohibited substances turned up after the following day’s racing.

“Mr Lefoe was careless in not observing the ‘one clear day’ requirement especially when he understood it in respect of injections. His evidence in that respect is unsatisfactory.”

Against that background the stewards took into account these factors:

• The nature of the substance and the metabolites

• High detected level of the metabolite trendione

• Guilty plea

• Co-operation during the stable inspection and subsequent inquiry

• Detailed recording of treatments which assisted the proceedings

• No evidence of any dishonest motive

• An acceptance of wrongdoing and demonstrated genuine remorse

• Personal and professional circumstances

• Good record over eight years of training

• Long overall involvement as a licensed participant in the racing industry

Looking at other dispositions and penalties, the NT Racing Appeals Tribunal concluded that a disqualification was excessive in all the circumstances.

It upheld Lefoe Jr’s appeal and set aside the order of disqualification and substituted it for a fine of $10,000.

O’Toole backed the report’s analysis that Lefoe Jr has a good record over eight years of training.

“Garry always has his horses in very good condition,” he said.

“Jason Lyon has ridden over 700 winners and he believes Garry is one of the best trainers he’s ridden for.”

Other winners on Wednesday were Mayameen (trainer Chris Nash, jockey Paul Denton), and Exact Replica and Au Pair (both for Phil Cole and Wayne Davis).