Bob Peters, making one of his infrequent trips from Western Australia, watched on as Cosmic Crusader extended its flawless Melbourne racing campaign with a victory in the P B Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield.
Now trained at Pakenham by Andrea Leek, Cosmic Crusader has achieved two wins from two starts since its arrival from Perth.
The horse first won the Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on July 25, and then added Saturday’s Group 2 race to its impressive record.
Ridden by Willie Pike and starting as the $2.40 favourite, Cosmic Crusader secured a three-quarter length win over Private Eye ($3.40), with Evaporate ($5) a similar distance back in third. Those following the best horse racing betting apps saw the favourite live up to expectations with another strong performance.
Peters mentioned that he couldn’t recall the last time he journeyed from Perth to witness one of his horses race in Melbourne.
“I made it a point never to fly when I only have one runner,” Peter said.
“I went to Morphettville once for a Group 1.
“Everything was going alright, but at six o’clock in the morning I got the call that the horse had done a tendon, so I thought ‘never again’ if I’ve only got one.
“I had another function on, so that’s why I’m here today. It was a good opportunity to come for two things.”
Peters was pleased with Cosmic Crusader’s effort, noting the horse settled further back than anticipated during the race.
The next race on the agenda is the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) on August 29.
“I was a little bit worried in the run when he was pulling, but once Willie got him to the outside, I could see he was on the job,” Peters said.
“(The Memsie) that’s the way to go. He had to get through this one to get there, but he’s done it well.
“It’s a bit of a step up when you get up to the big boys and girls in the next fortnight.”
Leek stated that Cosmic Crusader would not require significant training between its recent win and the Memsie Stakes.
She advised that the horse would be kept in light work on the hills at their property to prepare for the upcoming event.
“He’s a lovely horse with a lot of ability and I thought he had come on from that first-up run and hopefully he can come on from this one to,” Leek said.
Explore the latest racing odds at Australian betting sites for the upcoming Memsie Stakes.