By MATT NICHOLLS
VETERAN galloper Monton broke a 25-month drought to salute for his Armidale owners at Warwick Farm on Saturday.
The seven-year-old gelding hadn’t won a race since the Group 2 Villiers Stakes at the same track on 17 December 2011, but that didn’t stop punters from backing him into favouritism in the five-horse field.
Ridden a treat by claiming apprentice Sam Clipperton, Monton outlasted Said Com in the Western Sydney Handicap (1600m).
Armidale part-owners Harley Payne and Eris Dooner were all smiles after their frustrating star hit the line in front.
Monton had gone 21 starts between wins, but some of those runs included a second placing in the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes and several close finishes in other major races.
Meanwhile, Guyra trainer Paul Grills pulled the right rein with his mare Final Finale at Glen Innes on Saturday.
Grills had several runners at the meeting, but backed just one, and duly collected.
“I backed one and had one winner,” he said.
“I saw it was $21 in the ring and I thought that was too good to be true, so I had $10 each-way on it.”
Armidale jockey Geoff Snowden made no mistakes aboard the seven-year-old as she won by a head.
“She normally needs to draw a good alley, but at Glen Innes she had plenty of room to move early, so it didn’t make a difference (from barrier 11),” Grills said.
A former bush galloper in Victoria, Final Finale arrived at Grills’ Guyra property in August last year and has already significantly improved her career record.
She had two wins from 22 starts down south, but has won three from 11 under Grills.
