Carrying the top weight of 60kg was not enough to stop Gallant Boy from producing a tough win in yesterday’s Timaru Cup.
The galloper, trained by Brian and Shane Anderton, continued a brilliantly consistent 10-year-old season when winning the 1600m listed feature courtesy of a pinpoint ride by Jacob Lowry.
Gallant Boy carried at least 6.5kg more than all of his 13 rivals except one — last year’s Timaru Cup winner and this year’s eighth placegetter Who Dares Wins.
Lowry took every precaution to make sure Gallant Boy did not have to expend any extra energy while giving away that weight advantage to his younger rivals, saving every inch of ground he could before presenting his charge for his winning run in the home straight.
After hitting the lead early in the run home, Gallant Boy dug deep to hold off the late runs of lightly weighted placegetters Flying Sardine and Owen Patrick.
“There’s just something about him, as every time he goes out there, he gives 110%,” Shane Anderton told NZ Racing Desk.
“You couldn’t fault his form and he had probably run second a couple of times when he should have won, but he’s always having to give them weight, which can slow the best of them down.
“It’s hard to find horses like him and he’s going to take a bit of replacing when we finally retire him.”
Gallant Boy gave the Anderton stable and Lowry their third Timaru Cup win together, after Tommy Tucker won the race for them in both 2015 and 2016.
