Irish Songs has scored an emotional win for trainer Kurt Goldman coming with a late rush to claim the Listed National Sprint at Canberra.
The sprinter carried the colours of former 1960’s Wallaby representative Alan Cardy who died just before Christmas following a fall at home in Sydney.
“I trained my first stakes winner here in the Canberra Cup for Alan when I first started seven years ago and it’s quite fitting that I come here today,” Goldman told Sky Racing.
“This might be the last stakes race that I ever train for him.
“He’s been a great friend, mentor and father figure and he would have loved this.”
A masterful ride by Tommy Berry weaving between runners saw Irish Song ($7.50) score a half-length win from Ashman ($5) with Mad As Zariz ($31) in third place.
Irish Songs has travelled vast distances during his career that spans 44 starts and six wins and around $550,000 in prize money.
Sunday’s victory in the 1400m Listed contest was Irish Song’s first since taking out the Wagga Town Plate in April 2020.
But Goldman went into Sunday’s contest confident of a forward showing after Irish Songs finished second to Rose Quartz at Flemington last month.
“He bounced off that run at Flemington last time and that form has stacked up pretty well,” Goldman said.
“Rose Quartz went up in grade at Flemington the other day and again ran well so I thought it was the right form coming into today.
“And it was a masterful ride by Tommy too.
“He put the horse where he had to be and I screaming at him to get to the outside, but he knew what he was doing.”