John Allen has added to a memorable spring in the saddle with another feature race win, this time aboard exciting colt Ringerdingding in the Sandown Guineas.
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Allen won the Victoria Derby on Extra Brut and the Mackinnon Stakes on Trap For Fools at group 1 level on consecutive weekends during the Melbourne Cup carnival at Flemington and the jockey continued his momentum on Saturday with victory in one of the day's features.
Ringerdingding, who Allen guided to an impressive listed race win at Flemington last weekend, backed up in the group 2 Sandown Guineas (1600m) and the Darren Weir-trained colt again launched late on the outside to get home over the top of Seabrook and Long Leaf.
"It's been unbelievable," the Ballarat-based Allen said.
"I've had a great couple of weeks. I'm getting great opportunities so I just have to make the most of them."
With the Sandown Guineas already secured with Ringerdingding, Victoria's premier trainer has the group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington in March in his sights for the highly talented colt, who only joined his stable earlier this preparation.
Ringerdingding, the $2.90 favourite, defeated group 1-winning filly Seabrook ($3.40) by three-quarters of a length, with another half-neck to Long Leaf ($8).
Weir said Irishman Allen, who came to Australia as a jumps jockey several years ago but is now also mixing it with the best in flat races, had worked hard behind the scenes for his stable for a long time.
“He deserves everything he gets,” Weir said.
After briefly considering a trip to Perth for a group 1 race, connections of Fifty Stars have decided against the potentially taxing journey.
Fifty Stars won Saturday's group 3 Sandown Stakes and trainer Weir was toying with taking the four-year-old to Perth for next week's Railway Stakes at Ascot. But after careful consideration, Weir and connections have decided against the trip.
Also on Saturday, Weir-trained Yogi won the listed Sandown Cup.
Ridden by Craig Williams, Yogi ($3.60) came from last to defeat $3.40 favourite Azuro by a long neck, with Vengeur Masque ($9.50) 1-1/4 lengths away in third.
Breaching the whip rules earned Williams a seven-meeting suspension.
Williams was found to have used the whip 12 times before the 100m mark of Saturday's 3200m race, seven times more than allowed.
