The Cork-native, who has won more than 600 winners and earned A$30 million in prize-money since emigrating to Australia in 2011, was claiming his fourth Group 1 in Adelaide, having previously won the South Australian Derby on three occasions.

Trekking, a five-year-old gelded son of Street Cry, trained by James Cummings, grandson of the legendary Australian trainer, Bart, came with a late charge to deny Lightning Stakes winner and race favourite Gytrash in today’s 1200m (6 furlong) Group 1 contest.

The eventual second, Gytrash, moved clear with 200m to race before Allen’s mount, Trekking, wore him down in the latter stages to win by a short half-head. The win gave Trekking his 11^th career success and second Group 1 victory, having won the Stradbroke Handicap in Brisbane last year, while another Godolphin representative, Lyre, was another one-and-three-quarter lengths further back in third in the $400,000 six-furlong handicap.

Speaking of Trekking, his 10^th career Group One win, Allen admitted:

“It was my first time riding him and when I got out to the mounting yard, I was surprised how small he was. He was tough and he had a super run but the runner-up (Gytrash) gave a really good kick. I thought when I got out that we were going to catch him but he (Gytrash) kept kicking. To my lad’s credit, he really fought and kept kicking to the line.”

Today’s win was 35-year-old Allen’s first win at the highest level over a sprint distance with the majority over 2000m and further although he won the Coolmore Legacy Stakes on Kenedna last year in Sydney over 1600m.

Unfortunately, similar to last weekend, the Irish rider incurred a suspension, having being adjudged to have caused interference aboard the winner. As a result, the Corkman has been suspended for six meetings for careless riding to go with the five-meeting ban handed down to him last Saturday by the South Australian stewards.

The initial suspension commenced immediately following this morning’s Morphettville card and runs through until May 27 with the Trekking suspension to follow, meaning Allen will be out of action until June 8.

The post Johnny Allen wins another Adelaide Group 1 with victory in The Goodwood at Morphettville appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The Victoria-based rider and the Irish-bred Danny O’Brien-trained colt, a son of Coolmore’s 2012 Investec Derby winner Camelot, defeated Dalasan by one-and-three-quarter lengths with the winner of the Victoria Derby, Warning, a further length behind in third.

Corkman Allen, who previously won the race on the Darren Weir-trained horses Howard Be Thy Name (2016) and Volatile Mix (2017), kept the favourite wide throughout the contest, and was hugely impressed with Russian Camelot’s performance, in this the colt’s third win, admitting:

“Obviously, he’s an exceptional horse. A lot’s been made of his preparation, but I think the bigger factor is he’s still six months younger than these horses. If he can beat them now, when he’s only just turned three, imagine what he can in six months or a year’s time.”

Russian Camelot, the first northern hemisphere-bred colt to win a Derby in Australia, crept into the race from his wide berth rounding the home turn, moving into the lead in the final 150 metres, and putting daylight between himself and his rivals.

There was a sting in the bail for the Irishman, however, following his 9^th Australian Group 1 success, when stewards found him guilty of careless riding early in the race. Allen was deemed to have tightened Exalted Ambition as he moved the favourite inwards towards the rail at the 2000 metre mark.

As a result, he has been suspended for five South Australian meetings, starting after next Saturday’s Group 1 meeting at Morphettville.

Russsian Camelot was the final part of a Saturday treble for Allen who had earlier won the Group 3 TAB SA Sires’ Produce Stakes over 1400m (7f) with Ringbolt and the Listed 1600m (1 mile) Adelaide Galvanising Adelaide Guineas on Game Keeper.

After this morning’s impressive win, Russian Camelot has been promoted to favourite for the 2020 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on 3^rd November.

The post Cork jockey Johnny Allen wins his third South Australian Derby appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.