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Hybrid blend proves a winning theory

Left: Chris Darmanin and Hybrid Theory pose trackside with the 2008 Laurels trophy at Sandown Park last Thursday night.Left: Chris Darmanin and Hybrid Theory pose trackside with the 2008 Laurels trophy at Sandown Park last Thursday night.

By Paul Pickering
HYBRID Theory and Chris Darmanin made a family affair of the Group 1 Hawkins Media Laurels final at Sandown Park last Thursday night (26 June).
The Pascoe Vale-trained speedster rounded the Lightwood Road circuit in a blistering time of 30 seconds flat, earning Darmanin his first Group race triumph and delighting a hoard of family connections.
After the race, an emotional Darmanin, 27, described the win as one of the most exhilarating moments of his life.
“I’ve had her since she was three and a half months old, so she’s like my own kid,” he said of his winner.
“I trained dogs in Tassie for a few years and had some success, but to do it in Melbourne in front of friends and family is something special.”
Hybrid Theory ($4.40), owned by Darmanin’s aunt Andrea Chapple, began from box four and enjoyed a clear run to the first turn, but her path to the rail was guarded by early leader Miss Jim ($12.40).
The pair raced side by side down the back straight, only for Hybrid Theory to streak clear as her opponent tired around the final bend.
Miss Jim finished second 2.75 lengths in arrears, while Jeff Britton’s Who Told Helen lunged late to stop the clock one-hundredth of a second later in 30.19.
In-form favourite Alotta Mojo ($2.40) jumped sluggishly from the inside box and found interference at the turn, going on to finish fifth behind Summer Grace.
Darmanin was so delighted that he threatened to shout the bar with the lucrative winner’s purse.
“If they give me the $50,000 now I will,” he joked during presentations.
The two-year-old bitch he calls ‘Ruby’ is the daughter of Sandown track record-holder Bond, and has now claimed eight wins in 14 career starts.
In the other feature race of the night, Tasmanian stayer Fallen Zorro led at every split to take out the Group 2 McKenna Memorial over 715m.
Fallen Zorro ($2.30 favourite) had finished second to littermate Chinatown Lad in both the Sandown Cup and Brisbane Cup this year, but looked more than comfortable on the winner’s dais on Thursday night.
She was never challenged, leading in Gunnadoo Magic ($4.20) and Sky Hazzard ($5.60) by 2.25 lengths and four lengths respectively.
Earlier, star Queensland chaser Queen Lauryn ($1.90) did the job for the meet’s sponsor Steve Hawkins, surprising nobody in winning the seventh race.
Hawkins had intended to enter Queen Lauryn – the track record holder at Wentworth Park – in the Laurels this year, until he realised that she missed the age restriction by a month.

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