FORMER South Australian jockey, Jamie Kah, continued her successful strike rate with Mount Eliza-based racehorse trainer Grahame Begg by claiming a winning double at Sandown on Wednesday 8 May.
The winning combination bought up their fourth victory from just nine runners (44 per cent strike rate) this season as up-and-coming fillies Global Sanction and Vanuatu respectively took out races two and five at the midweek meeting.
The four-year-old Sebring mare, Global Sanction, kicked off proceedings with a gutsy last-to-first victory over the Lindsay Park-trained Sonaree and Matthew Brown-trained Exasperate, finishing a length-and-a-half away in third.
Having taken some time to overcome travel sickness from her three-year-old season, Begg was stoked to see Global Sanction back to her best.
“Her form in the spring was a bit indifferent but I think the key with her was to just space her runs,” Begg said post-race.
“She came back and ran really well over 1200m. It was a tad short first up this time around, and we picked this race out for her. She found the line well and she (Jamie Kah) rode her extremely well.”
Global Sanction has solely been trained out of the Jonathan Munz-owned Pinecliff property which has made all the difference according to Begg: “It suits her needs perfectly and it’s a very, very good facility”. Isabella Perez-Wood was the winning strapper of Global Sanction.
A change in environment at Pinecliff and the addition of blinkers also worked wonders for Begg’s second winner, Vanuatu.
Coming off a relatively “flat run” in Adelaide, Vanuatu returned to winning form having been given a quieter ride by Jamie Kah before storming home late to win by two-and-a-half lengths over the Cindy Alderson-trained Fudged and Luke Oliver-trained Hunboshi. Vanuatu was strapped by Marie-Melodie Pomarede.
Begg said the trip may have just been too long last start.
“She’s a very talented filly,” Begg said. “Her first up run for us when she ran third behind the filly that went on to win the Bendigo Guineas (Mystery Love) was a very good form race and I’m sure this filly has got a bit of upside.
“We went back and had a good look at her pedigree, and we thought well maybe the 1800m may have been a bit far for her so that’s where the whole idea of getting her back in distance came from.”
Vanuatu is now likely to have one more run in Victoria before potentially heading up to Queensland for the later end of the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival.
