The Peter Gelagotis trained Levendi won Group 1 $2 million Australian Derby held at the Randwick Racecourse on Saturday 7th April at the Championships Day 1 race meeting. The brothers Peter and Manny Gelagotis could only celebrate for a while before the siren for protest was sounded.
While the referees were busy in checking who won the race, Jockey Corey Brown was getting medical attention after his horse The Lord Mayor fell out of the first turn. His injuries were severe which made him give his participation in the TJ Stakes and Doncaster Mile.
Peter Gelagotis said Levendi’s Derby triumph was an emotional moment for his “tight-knit family”. “Being from a European background, we had a hard taskmaster in our father, god bless our mum back home, she is still there and supports us heavily,’’ he said.“That passion was instilled in us by our parents, it’s a tough gig being European, and leaving our home country, our father started it, he gave it a go and we can honour his name. We’ve all started from humble beginnings and you get given opportunities in life, when you’ve got the guts and determination to take them.”
The trainer David Payne pupil Ace High had to settle for second whereas the Chris Waller trained Tangled came in third.
Click HERE for full race results.
By Apurva Chavan, Racing Writer, apurva.chavan@secretariatsworld.com