Dio D’Oro posts second wet-track success

Dio D’Oro overcame a wider than expected passage to make it back-ti-back Randwick wins.

Dio D’Oro has claimed his second wet-track win at Randwick but his jockey Rachel King has scouted a little wider than she planned.

The Gary Portelli-trained youngster was sent out the $3.90 favourite in Saturday’s Two-Year-Old Handicap (1200m) after his win in similar heavy conditions two weeks ago.

The field ended up splitting into two divisions with Dio D’Oro being taken out by the leader and eventual third-placed Silent Explorer ($6.50).

“I galloped a horse on the track this morning and certainly didn’t intend to be that wide,” King said.

“I think the middle of the track is probably the best going but Josh (Parr) was having trouble and I ended up a lot wider than I wanted to be.

“It certainly wasn’t intentional.”

Marmaris ($7) got to within a length of Dio D’Oro with Silent Explorer another long head third.

Jay Ford on fourth-placed Knight Arrow ($16) fired in a protest against Parr who acknowledged he had come out but the length margin was not enough for stewards to uphold the objection.

Silent Explorer’s trainer David Payne saved the stewards directing him to trial the gelding, saying he would now head to the paddock.

“We will try to sort him out,” Payne said.

“It’s the second time he’s done that so he will have a spell and trial before he comes back to the races.”

Kathy O’Hara came off the fence on You Make Me Smile in the following race and came down the stretch of ground King had been looking for in the Benchmark 80 for three-year-olds.

The Jason Coyle-trained You Make Me Smile ($21) held off the fast-finishing Lisdoonvarna ($3.90 eq fav) by a head with Revenire ($5) another half length third.