Kah wins Doncaster aboard Cascadian

Cascadian narrowly winning at Randwick (Image: Bradley Photos)

Sydney got to see what Melbourne racegoers have been experiencing for the past 12 months when Jamie Kah squeezed the best out of Godolphin import Cascadian to win Saturday’s $3 million Doncaster Handicap at Randwick.

It wasn’t until the final stride over the 1600-metre course that Melbourne’s dominant rider hit the front, with Cascadian nosing out Icebath and Dalasan to score a breathtaking and groundbreaking victory.

The win was Kah’s first Group 1 triumph in Sydney and her fourth overall. The 25-year-old is set to win her first Melbourne premiership by a big margin as she currently leads second-placed Damian Lane 80 wins to 54.

Trainer James Cummings said he was thrilled that Kah could replicate her Melbourne form on one of Sydney’s biggest days of racing in one of its biggest races.

“She’s rating right up on the figures as James McDonald is rating in Sydney,” Cummings said. “We were very, very keen to try and book her for a lightweight ride in the Doncaster and we had a few circling.

“Once Cascadian come through the George Ryder with such a brilliant fourth and we got the opportunity to drop back in weight, Jamie’s team were very happy to ride him.

“It didn’t rely on me to make much of a point to her, she was very keen to be on him and she had the right plan.

“She thought about the race exactly the way we did and that’s put us in the frame.”

It was an incredible day for Cummings’ team as he had earlier won the G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes with superb colt Anamoe.

Kah appeared overwhelmed with her victory, as the Sydney crowd cheered her wildly back to scale.

“I am a bit speechless to be honest,” she said.

“We got a beautiful run, everything just opened up at the right time for him.

“He probably waited a little bit on the line, that is why I wasn’t sure if I had got it or not. But he stuck his nose out though and I couldn’t be happier.”

Cascadian was one of the best-backed horses in the Doncaster following Kah’s booking and he went off at $8 and had just a head margin over Icebath ($21), with Dalasan ($31) running a brilliant race to hold off The All-Star Mile winner Mugatoo for third.