Fiorano back to its best in SA Sprint Championship
FIORANO has taken out the 2024 Listed SA Sprint Championship returning to his best with a brilliant performance from box three at Angle Park on Thursday night.
The Listed event produced a high-quality field, despite the scratching of the Kirin Corby pair of Where’s Poppy and Senna Wick with Springvale Maddi and Doonan coming into the final field.
While Adhana Rico entered the final as the red-hot favourite, he was upstaged by his kennel mate in Fiorano, who returned to his best out of the boxes on Thursday night.
A 5.19 first split saw Fiorano power to the early lead and pinch a three length break down the back straight after some jostling in behind him on the first turn.
Adhana Rico began to close around the home turn but Fiorano was able to hold off and win by a quarter of a length in 30.41 with Adhana Rico in second and the fast-finishing Could Be King rattling home into third position.
It marks a first feature race victory for Fiorano since crossing to the Griffiths kennel in early December and speaking on the dais post-race, trainer Ashlee Griffiths said they were excited to have Fiorano in their kennel.
“He did well tonight, we had a change in the boxing tonight. He jumped well and he got the front and he got away from there,” Griffiths said. ‘
It was career win number 15 at start number 37 for Fiorano with a big 2024 campaign looming for one of the state’s best chasers.
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Also on the Angle Park card on Thursday, we had four heats of the grade 5 John Gray series and an exciting and even final looms next week after some impressive heat performances.
The returning Bobby Axelrod made a winning return to South Australia as he took out the first heat for trainer Dillon Robinson.
Racing at Angle Park for the first time since December 2022 and second up in five months after an extended layoff, Bobby Axelrod made the most of a box one draw finding an early lead ahead of the speedy Unholy Reign.
Improving on his impressive first-up run at The Bridge on Sunday, Bobby Axelrod powered away to win by four lengths from Unholy Reign in 30.48 and secure its passage into the final next week.
Heat two saw the impressive youngster Riot Rooster extended his perfect record over the 530m Angle Park trip making it seven wins from seven starts.
Stepping up to grade five company after winning The Spark last month, Riot Rooster was able to get clear running out in front from the wide box eight draw.
Despite getting a touch weary late, Riot Rooster was able to hold off the fast-finishing Dashing Deb to win by half a length in 30.59.
The Lauren Harris trained Minter Redeem claimed heat three showcasing plenty of early speed with a 5.15 first split before winning in 30.45 with the hard-running winner of The Inferno Fantastic Ada also qualifying in second place.
The final heat was taken out by a newcomer to South Australia in Carton of Bear who is now in the care of Kim Johnstone.
Coming off the heels of an impressive run of Queensland form including an Ipswich Derby final win, Carton of Bear got to the lead at the first post holding out Harry with the pair duelling for much of the way.
Eventually, Carton of Bear kicked away winning by two and a half lengths in 30.48 ahead of Harry with both runners making their way to the final.
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730m track record holder Lena Jinx was back on the winners list on with an impressive performance in the opening race on the card.
Finding a bit of trouble in the early going, Lena Jinx showed an excellent turn of foot to power away down the back and win convincingly by nine lengths in 42.71.