KEITEL CONTINUES FLYING START

KEITEL broke through $200,000 in earnings thanks to a determined victory at Doomben on Saturday, which extended the sizzling start to his career in Queensland.

The 6YO now has a pair of wins and two minor placings from his four starts for the stable after he notched his first metropolitan success in the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1600m). 

Jasper Franklin has formed a very fruitful association with KEITEL and the apprentice is now two from two on him after the son of Hellbent wore down the leader with an impressive burst. 

The narrow victory was the seventh of Keitel’s career and the cheque for $48,800 carried his earnings past the $200,000 mark. 

“It was a bit of a messy race early on, so I didn’t want to get cluttered up on the fence,” said Franklin. 

“Then when the pace went on he got caught a little flat-footed, but I didn’t panic because the same thing happened when he won at the Sunny Coast two starts back. He really picked up and hit the line very strongly. When Chris Waller’s horse hit the front I thought we were going to get beaten, but he’s so tough and he has that will to win.”

Many congratulations to his owners: Dr C G Lawler, Mr G R Gillespie, Mr J B Kaufman, Mr A K Irving, Mr J P Hoy, Mr C M Nicholas, Mr R S Williamson, Mr R C Preston, Mr R J Kell, Mr J Nanopoulos and Duck Syndicate.    

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