Punters can be a forgiving lot and for those long-suffering supporters that parlayed their faith in Luvaluva at Randwick into Odeon in the Listed Ladbrokes Lord Stakes (1700m) Caulfield it was a day to savour.
Winless since November 2017, Odeon snapped a nineteen-race losing streak when Craig Williams guided him to a one and a half length win over Future Score (IRE) with Gold Fields a length further back in third.
The Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra-trained gelding’s last win came in the Listed Melbourne Cup Day Plate defeating the Life Less Ordinary (IRE).
"There was a lot of pressure on today and it was like winning a Group One race," Zahra told AAP.
"He's an honest sort of horse, but things haven't quite gone his way and a lack of fitness probably told the other day.
"You can see why we get frustrated when they win like that.
"You know they have a ton of ability when you watch them work Tuesday and Friday and gallop like they do, but they can't win a race."
"He got rated out of a lot of races which is why I harp on about it.
"With horses like him you can see what they can do, but he'll get another four or five (points) today and that will make him hard to place.
"You get frustrated in that sense, but he always goes out and tries."
"He's got another Listed win in him somewhere, I think.
"He enjoys Caulfield, he enjoys that quick tempo, so we've got to keep him to those races where we know we're going to get a fair bit of speed."
A 6yo son of Zacinto (GB), Odeon advances his record to 7 wins, 5 seconds and 4 thirds from 36 starts with earnings of $715,035.
Bred by Kevin Hickman's Valachi Downs, Odeon was purchased for $77,5000 by APS Racing at the 2015 NZB Select Yearling Sale.
He is the best of three winners from as many to race out of the imported Theatrical mare Theatre Buff who missed in 2016 and 2017 before being covered by Savile Row last year.
