Great Southerner Sacred Oath scored a big payday for connections who purchased the gelding for just $10,000 in Saturday’s $100,000 Skyracing.tv Provincial Championship Series Final (1400m) at Belmont.
Starting from the inside barrier, Sacred Oath, a $13 TABtouch elect, found a perfect position in sixth place on the rail as stablemate Rocapozzene ($81) sped to the front.
Having expended little energy, jockey Lucy Fiore began to thread a passage through when runners entered the straight as Abloh ($5.50) reached the front and Henry The Aviator ($34) gave pursuit.
At the 200m, Sacred Oath burst through to shoot to the front while race favourite $3.40 Californication got blocked for runs to his outside.
Sacred Oath dug deep as Henry The Aviator mounted a challenge, with Fiore keeping the five-year-old gelding going to score by a long-neck.
The luckless Californication flashed home late to run third beaten just a length, with many supporters left to reflect on what could have been.
Sacred Oath, who was previously owned by the late spin king Shane Warne, was purchased in July last year by trainer Roy Rogers and his clients for just $10,000.
He has had six runs for new connections and, at just his last three starts, Sacred Oath has earned $88,228.
“I bought this horse on advice from one of the connections in Melbourne at the time,” Rogers said.
“I spoke to Mitch Beer (previous trainer) and spelled him in Melbourne for three months, then I brought him over here and spelled him for three months.
“He wasn’t an overly big horse and he’s probably grown a hand – he’s all legs and he’s probably a bit field shy – but he’s just so raw and green that I think he’s going to be a really nice horse.
“Lucy (Fiore) worked out how to ride him and, when he won last start, she said this is a serious horse and I can’t wait to get amongst them.”
Rogers said the win was the ideal tonic in a tough week for his partner Grace, who was kicked in the face by a horse earlier in the week.
Jockey Lucy Fiore indicated the horse’s progression was not done yet and there was potentially even more in the tank should Sacred Oath have been more seriously accosted.
“He’s very different – he’s very leggy – and I think having all those previous rides helped me to get to know him better,” Fiore said.
“I think think I’d rather him have some moving room but barrier one worked out perfect and he showed he does have an electric turn of foot.
“Every time I rode him at Albany he’d find the front and switch off late and today he did the same, so whatever you throw at him he gives a good go.”
The win was the second leg of a double for Fiore after scoring earlier with $18 shot Celebrity Witness in race five.