The Barry Lockwood-trained Give Me Space has stormed home down the outside to take out the Group 3 Vo Rogue Plate at Eagle Farm.
A winner of two of his five starts heading into Saturday’s 1300m event for three-year-olds, Give Me Space was sent out a $17 betting app chance and gave his rivals a start before powering home from last on the home turn to defeat Street Chase ($26) by a narrow margin with Hella Fast ($26) third.
The $3.40 favourite Raikkonen appeared to knuckle at the start and then covered ground before finishing at the tail of the field.
Give Me Space was ridden by Irish rider Luke Dempsey who was full of praise for the gelding’s effort.
“That was some performance,” Dempsey told Sky Thoroughbred Central.
“Nothing went right for him. I knew we would get back but I didn’t plan to be that far back.
“Once he straightened up and he got that clear air he really ran home.
“He’s a great little horse. He was tough and that was a really good performance.”
Dempsey said he knew Give Me Space would pick up and run home strongly, he was just concerned whether they had given away too big a start to some of his rivals.
“But we got there in the end, so it was a brilliant win,” he said.
“It’s brilliant to ride a Group winner.”
Dempsey also said it was great to get a feature win for the Lockwood stable.
“They’ve been fantastic to me since I came here so it’s great to ride a big winner for them,” he said.
Give Me Space is entered for the $3 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (1400m) at the Gold Coast in two weeks and has firmed into $11 for that race after Saturday’s victory.
The three-year-old had won his first two starts this preparation at Eagle Farm and Doomben in October and November before placing in his next two starts leading into the Vo Rogue.