Track and distance specialist Ghost Who Walks found the perfect spot to open his stakes account in Saturday’s Listed Beaufine Stakes at Belmont Park.
A first stakes success for apprentice Keshaw Dhurun, the rising 6yo son of God Has Spoken defeated the 4yo I Am Invincible mare Real Danger by a half-length.
It was one and a quarter lengths back to the 7yo Playing God gelding Nerodio, who had little luck in his attempt at a three-peat in the race.
Racing in career-best form, Ghost Who Walks advances his record to ten wins, five seconds and seven thirds from 39 starts with earnings of $437,130.
Winning trainer Neville Parnham admitted he did not think Ghost Who Walks was up to stakes company and the son of God Has Spoken was making a belated black-type debut.
“He has always shown potential, but I did not think that at any stage we would reach this level, but he keeps improving,” Parnham said.
“We learned that a 1000m is his go, and he rarely goes further.
“He is a sound horse. I might have beaten him up as a 3yo, but he never shirked it and has improved every prep.
“Kesh does a lot of work around the stable, never complains, and it was good to give him to win a Listed race.
“I trained both (God Has Spoken) and (dam) Death Knock. I’ve had all the progeny from her - Playing Zeus (Playing God), Holy Ghost (God Has Spoken), and this guy, and they all have won.”
A homebred for Colin Loxton, Ghost Who Walks is the best of four winners from as many to race for the winning Lonhro mare Death Knock, who was sold to Yevrah Investments for $45,000 when consigned to the 2022 Inglis July (Early) Online Sale.
A half-sister to the Listed Gold Coast Goldmarket winner Raido (Husson), Death Knock has a yearling colt and a weanling colt by Playing God. She was covered by Splitex last spring.
Ghost Who Walks comes from the second crop of Rivercrest Park Stud’s God Has Soken. The 5-time stakes-winning son of Blackfriars stands at a fee of $2,200 in 2023.
