SACRED OATH PUTS GHOSTS OF THE PAST TO REST

By Graham Potter | Saturday, April 16, 2022

It was only a Maiden Handicap (over 1200m at the Gold Coast on April 16), but it was always going to rank as a very important run for the three-year-old colt Sacred Oath.

Nobody really wants to relive the bad memory of the Sacred Oath’s previous outing at Ipswich which only lasted for 200m … but, suffice to say, what happened to Sacred Oath in his previous start could easily have left a mark on him mentally, and only a return to race action could determine how he would cope with the required rigours of competitive action.

Thankfully for all concerned, the son of Sacred Falls stepped up to the mark (big time) answering every question asked of him in a very positive fashion on his way to a clearcut 2.80 length victory, his first win in a three-race career to date.

Sacred Oath ($1.40) jumped well, but was immediately taken on by three horses to his outside who were all looking for any early chink in Sacred Oath’s armour. There wasn’t any!

Mid-race … and Sacred Oath faced another attack as the $5 chance Sea Stitch tried to go right past him, but Sacred Oath held the rail position and was just given slightly more rein by Noel Callow to put that one back into second spot.

Sea Stitch did stick around, trying to annoy the David Vandyke trained runner, until the home turn, but the second favourite had already run his race by the time the field straightened for home (his early boldness had cost him, he would finish last) and Sacred Oath was able to stride clear at the head of affairs in the home straight, stretching out to win untroubled by a decisive 2.80 lengths.

Much has been made of the fact that the late Shane Warne’s name features in Sacred Oath’s ownership group, and Jockey Noel Callow paid his respects to the King Of Spin by giving his own interpretation of a leg spin bowling action shortly after crossing the line aboard Sacred Oath.

It was a nice touch to what was an important win for a variety of reasons.

‘It was a terrific result,” said trainer David Vandyke. “You know we all wanted him to win very badly for Warnie at Ipswich. That turned into a horror day.

“We’ve all really worked hard as a team just to get him back in a good place and that’s where he is.

“He wasn’t given the race. They attacked him twice. They attacked him at the start and then they attacked him at the 800m.

“He was a superior horse. He won with authority and we are very proud of him and the fact that he could just bring a bit of joy to Warnie’s family, his friends and supporters in the face of what has happened and all they have been through … and we are grateful of being given the opportunity to do that.”

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