Pekan repays punters faith with Cup success
Wednesday, 5 May 2004 16:00The Michael Jarvis-trained Anak Pekan landed a huge public gamble with an impressive success in the totesport Chester Gold Cup.
With Philip Robinson on board the four-old was perfectly positioned on the shoulders of the leaders from the off in the £120,000 highlight on the opening day of the Chester meeting.
And he really picked up approaching the final furlong to power clear for a five-length success from Misternando, with last year's runner-up Big Moment three-quarters of a lengths further back in third. Distant Prospect edged out Mana d'Argent in a photo for fourth.
Afterwards the winning jockey was full of praise for Anak Pekan. : "It was always going to get a bit rough because everyone was jostling for position four out, but luckily I had the horse to get me through there. He's a great horse for around here and he loved the ground."
Robinson echoed those sentiments: "This time last year he ran at Kempton and finished tailed off. He was hollering away and not concentrating, so we took him on a little trip to the vets (to be gelded) and since then he has not looked back.
"He gets these extreme distances well and we had the advantage of what always looked like being an ideal draw in stall four. He was a bit keen early on, but he is a very exuberant horse and I don't think he's stopped improving yet. "
Filed by James McMahon
