SALON Du Cheval kept up his impressive first-up record winning the Port Fairy IGA Cup for Warrnambool trainer Lindsey Smith at his home track on Thursday.
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The lightly raced six-year-old, with apprentice jockey Lachlan King in the saddle, defeated Street Sheik by a neck.
Indian Thunder was back in third place in the $45,000 race.
Smith, who also has stables in Perth, praised King for his winning ride on Salon Du Cheval.
"It was a great ride by Lachlan," the multiple group one winning trainer said.
"We were back in the field and Lachlan never panicked at any stage of the race. It was a well-timed ride.
"Salon Du Cheval has now won three of his four first-up runs. I was quietly confident he would run well going on his great first-up record.
"He appreciated the big track at Warrnambool. He was getting difficult to place back in Perth as they run at Ascot for six months of the year and he just never liked the tight track."
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Smith has decided to bypass the Woodford Cup at Warrnambool on December 31 with Salon Du Cheval but will run the son of Trade Fair in the Koroit Cup on January 5.
"I'll just freshen Salon Du Cheval up for the Koroit Cup," he said.
"He's got a good second-up record so I think he'll run well in that race."
Salon Du Cheval's victory was the second leg of a winning double for Smith.
His other winner was the first starter Elderflower in a maiden over 1000 metres.
Other local trainers to win races on the eight-race program were Aaron Purcell, Pat McKenna and Matthew Williams.
Purcell led Dashing Tycoon into the winners stall, McKenna won with Uncle Larry and Williams was successful with Mai Shiny Choice.
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