DAD BEATS SON AS TEAM ATTARD CHEERS

SUNDAY: July 31, 2022: FATHER beat son at Kembla Grange yesterday – and Team Attard cheered loudly.

Experienced Newcastle jockey Andrew Gibbons landed the F&M Class 1 Handicap (1400m) on Jason Attard and Lucy Keegan-Attard’s Coppersonic, nosing out son Dylan, the talented young apprentice, on Dark Satin in a spine-tingling finish.

In all roughies’ result, $13 chance Coppersonic beat Dark Satin ($17) and Rubick Island ($21), relegating hotpot Amarantz ($2.05) to fourth.

“It’s been a good season,” Jason Attard said this morning. “That was our ninth winner, and all have been at the provincials.

“Coppersonic is a very tough mare, and showed a lot of true grit yesterday.

“Andrew said afterwards that when Dylan came alongside her, that egged her on and she dug deep.”

Gibbons rode the Hawkesbury mare for only the second time in a race, having partnered her when fifth to stablemate Oh Golly Gosh at Newcastle in March.

“Andrew liked her then, and rode Coppersonic again in a 1000m trial at Hawkesbury on July 18, and was happy with the feel he got from her.

“He is a very experienced jockey and a lovely guy, and we were happy to have him back on the mare yesterday.”

Though Coppersonic is turning six years of age, she has been lightly raced and was having only her 10th start yesterday for her second win.

“She has had troublesome feet, and didn’t begin her racing career until 12 months ago,” Attard explained.

“Our farrier Rodney Brazzill has done a tremendous job with her.

“She races with a glue on shoe under her near fore front foot, and a pad under her off fore.

“Coppersonic won a 1500m Maiden at home at her fourth start, and it was really pleasing to get another win with yesterday.”

A daughter of Fast’ N’ Famous, Coppersonic is raced by the Huett family. The mare is the only foal of her dam Canny Mistress.