Kalapour (+3300) has caused a major upset in the Group 1 Tancred Stakes (2400m) at Rosehill on Saturday afternoon, giving Dylan Gibbons his second career Group 1 victory as a jockey.
The Kris Lees-trained seven-year-old was considered one of the outside chances leading into Saturday, with the son of War Command unwanted in the market as a +3300 chance with online betting sites prior to the jump.
He was third-up into the campaign on Saturday and was always going to benefit from a step up in trip after finishing runner-up in the Group 3 Sky High Stakes (2000m) behind Lindermann on March 16.
Dylan Gibbons got the ideal position throughout the journey, slotting in midfield as the eight runners ran along in a single file in the early stages.
Post Impressionist (+150) and Buckaroo (+360) were dragged back towards the rear of the field and ridden with confidence, however, both were unable to muster when asked to sprint with 500m to travel.
More Felons (+500) was picking up for James McDonald, and at one stage appeared to be hitting the line best, as Kalapour kicked back to secure his first Group 1 victory.
Kris Lees was on course and admitted he was cautious about heading to this event before praising the ride by Dylan Gibbons.
“At 8.30am on Wednesday I nearly was going to run him in the Neville Sellwood Stakes,” said Lees.
“I ummed and ahhed which way to go and it looked like it was falling away a little bit, this race, so we thought we’d give him his chance.
“I came here hoping he’d earn a nice cheque for connections, probably not that confident. But I’m really happy.
“Super. He’s a super kid (Dylan Gibbons. What you see is what you get. That’s him, all the time. He’s just a pleasure to have around. I know he’s already won a Group 1 but he’s got many more (to come). Finally we got one together, that’s great.”
It’s the first time Gibbons has ridden a Group 1 winner for his boss Kris Lees and couldn’t have been happy with the achievement.
“It meant a lot,” said Gibbons.
“If you asked me a longtime goal would have been to do something like this for Kris, because I go back through my whole career and every step and stage I made with his support and what he helped Dad plan for me, I know for a fact I’d be lost without it. So to give him one on the biggest stage, it means a hell of a lot.”
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