Fernie’s Super Sunday
The all-conquering Peter Fernie stable enjoyed a day out at yesterday’s Boulder Cup meeting at Kalgoorlie, scoring a phenomenal six winners on the card.
The leading Goldfields stable took out both the Listed Boulder Cup (2111m) and Kambalda Cup (1400m) with Gangbuster and Pym’s Royale respectively and ensured they would be major players in the Hannan’s Handicap (1400m) and Kalgoorlie Cup (2300m).
Gangbuster upstaged his more fancied rivals in the Boulder Cup, scoring his first Listed race win since the Challenge Stakes in February 2017.
The six-year-old settled behind race leader Swift Platinum for in-form jockey Jade McNaught throughout the staying feature and fought off the Adam Durrant-trained pair First Affair and Touch Of Silver in the closing stages.
McNaught also took out the Coolgardie Cup with Fair Sonari a fortnight ago and took out the Listed Farnley Stakes with Neurological last Saturday.
Fernie said he wasn’t completely surprised by Gangbuster’s win, despite starting at the lucrative odds of $31.
“His run in the Tattersalls Cup was really good,” he told TABradio.
“They walked in that and he got home really well.
“The Coolgardie Cup showed us he didn’t like getting bumped and buffeted around in the run.
“I told Jade not to get anything on the outside and kick him to try and give him some free air.”
Fernie said the gelding would continue on to the Kalgoorlie Cup on October 5 and would be joined by defending champion Inject The Venom.
Inject The Venom had little luck in the Boulder Cup and was beaten 10 lengths by his stablemate.
Pym’s Royale stamped his credentials as a key player for the Goldfields feature sprint race as he led home a stable trifecta in the Kambalda Cup for the Fernie stable.
The five-year-old, who started a $1.55 favourite, wore down Paradise Square over the closing stages to record his second straight win.
Badge Of Courage finished a further length back in third.
Fernie said he was hopeful Pym’s Royale would be able to get into the Hannan’s Handicap on the minimum weight with highly-rated Flow and Disposition both possibilities to run in the race.
Little Fish is set to be Fernie’s only other runner in the $140,000 event, with the veteran trainer prepared to forgive the gelding’s unplaced run at Belmont on Saturday.
Fernie also enjoyed success with Double The Pro, Nemiroff, War Secrets and Concrete Madame on yesterday’s program.
Tim Walker