Rejuvenated galloper Giresun notched another win for Darley in the Swettenham Stud Summer Championship at Caulfield on Monday.
Giresun (4g Domesday – Cherry Lodge by Grand Lodge) launched a brilliant finishing burst off a quick clip to win Heat 3 of the Swettenham Championship (1400m) from Ben Zena and Prizum.
Darley galloper Scarf had claimed Heat 2 of the Championship at Sandown on Christmas Eve. And, like his stablemate, Giresun has struck form after transferring from Sydney to Melbourne.
“He showed a lot of potential as a young horse but then lost the plot,” stable foreman Paul Snowden said. “He was gelded and arrived here last month.”
Giresun was a debut winner at Warwick Farm in February 2010 and was runner-up to Ilovethiscity in the G3 Spring Stakes at Newcastle last September. He won first-up in February but wasn’t sighted in four starts during a disappointing winter campaign.
Sent south, he defeated Eternal Sunshine at Caulfield on December 14 and franked that form with the benefit of a cracking pace set by Produced on Boxing Day. “Everything worked out well after they went so fast up front,” Snowden said. “He’s looking for longer now and will be able to settle much closer to the speed over a mile.”
Giresun will be suited by the step up to 1600 metres in either Heat 8 of Swettenham Championship at Caulfield (Jan 7) or Heat 9 at Flemington (Jan 14).
The Darley homebred is a younger half-brother to Kanzan (Commands) who scored black-type victories at Eagle Farm and Hawkesbury in April – May. They are direct descendants of Swettenham Stud homebred Freedom Fields (Bluebird) who was a G3 winner of the 1992 VATC Blue Diamond Prelude.
The Swettenham Stud Summer Championship comprises 10 Heats and a $100,000 Final at Betfair Park on January 28. The prize package also includes a trophy and a free service to Swettenham Stud’s exciting shuttle sire Equiano valued at $16,500.
MRC Swettenham Summer Championship – Points after Heat 3
10 Over Quota
10 Scarf
10 Giresun
8 Maquina
8 Let’s Be Happy
8 Ben Zena
7 Wookah
7 Bocuse
7 Prizum
6 Ruse De Guerre
6 Veewap
6 Wealthy Lad
5 Can Do
5 Did We Win
5 Don’t Wake Me