Black Top In Caitlyn's Keeping

BRILLIANT front-runner Caitlyn Keeping annexed Friday night's Group 2 Sires On Ice Black Top Final (515m) at Ladbrokes Gardens in thrilling fashion, staving off a late challenge by race favourite Zipping Tayla to land the $40,000 to-the-winner feature.

Gaining a start in the showpiece event by virtue of the scratching of likely race favourite Black Forge, Cailtyn Keeping made full use of her box eight berth, carving out electrifying sectionals on the way to her watershed half-length 29.35 victory.

Ironically, a week earlier in the qualifiers, Zipping Tayla ran down a tearaway Caitlyn Keeping to automatically progress through to the final, with Caitlyn Keeping, a daughter of Fabregas and Naomi Keeping, turning the tables in Friday's finale, claiming the rich payday for Charmaine Roberts and Shayne Stiff.

The Group 2 triumph – on a great night of racing from Ladbrokes Gardens – was Caitlyn Keeping's 10th career win from 19 starts, her prizemoney now standing at a cool $53,000.

Caitlyn Keeping returns to the track this Monday at Bathurst, looking to continue her  spritely recent form, tackling the third heat of the lucrative Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase Series (520m), the first of the qualifiers for the $1 million to-the-winner series which culminates at Wentworth Park on Saturday, October 20.

On a sensational night of racing from Ladbrokes Gardens on Friday, the Sonia Hornery Cup (600m) went the way of Zipping Kelly for Jodie Lagogiane in 34.53, while ‘The Macca” named after legend local broadcaster John McDermott was a boil-over result, with rank outsider Elusive Wave scoring at monster odds for Vic Sultana in a sizzling 29.31.

Sultana was to the fore in another final on the program also, with Elusive Wave's litter sister Cheeky Tunes taking out the Social Club Past Members Final (515m) in a slick 29.69.

Both bitches are from the outstanding Don't Knocka Him x Ella Lezah litter, which have so far won 77 of their 202 race starts and $250,000 in prizemoney, headlined of course by leading NSW galloper Sky Wave, set to contest Monday's Million Dollar Chase heats at Bathurst, the same venue she landed the Soldiers Saddle at in December.