KEY POINTS:
The history books will say Takeover Target carried 61kg but in reality he shouldered the weight of a racing industry devastated by equine influenza (EI) and looking to a champion to assure them everything would be all right again.
As he always has been, Takeover Target was up to the task.
The Joe Janiak-trained gelding was billed as the headline act for racing's return to Randwick on Saturday, the first non-restricted meeting in Sydney since the outbreak of EI in August.
In front of a huge crowd on an afternoon boasting a carnival atmosphere, the chunky bay with the white blaze relegated thoughts of the flu to a faraway place when he pinned his ears back and courageously chased down multiple group one winner Dance Hero to again make the action on the track the centrepiece of racing.
The Arrowfield Stud Sprint (1200m) lived up to its promise with Dance Hero looking set to spoil the party when he scooted several lengths clear of Takeover Target halfway up the straight.
But the champion dug deep for Jay Ford and nailed the 2004 Golden Slipper winner by a long head.
The first two were in a race of their own with Pasikatera another 4 3/4 lengths away third.
"He just keeps amazing," said Ford, who revealed he could hear the crowd roaring in the straight.
"I thought he was vulnerable today. He didn't have race fitness underneath him and now he's older he usually takes one or two runs to hit his top.
"It probably wasn't his best victory but it was an important victory. Carrying 61 kilos, albeit not against the genuine depth of a group one race, it shows how determined he is."
Trainer Joe Janiak described the win as "tremendous" and said he didn't feel any pressure coming into the race, despite the public's expectations of Takeover Target, who has become a cult figure after being bought for just A$1300 by Janiak and going on to become a world class sprinter.
"Not pressure. Just to get racing again is great," Janiak said.
"I really wanted to race him in Melbourne over the carnival, there was a good race for him down there.
"It was a big disappointment not to be able to go there and then the match race [with Natural Destiny] got knocked on the head.
"I knew he'd finish his race off today. He's just a great horse."
Dance Hero was brave in defeat and jockey Nash Rawiller thought he had the race won. "I thought at the furlong (200m) we'd pinched it and a champion ran us down," he said.
The crowd lined the fence, 10 deep in places, to applaud Takeover Target as he returned to scale and Janiak summed the moment up for most.
"It can't get any better, can it."
Racing is back and so is Takeover Target.
- AAP
