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Tena Koutou helped create Albany Cup history for Adam Durrant, as the masterful WA trainer won the region’s biggest staying race for a record seventh time on Sunday.
Durrant equalled the record for Albany cups with the legendary Don Morton with the victory of Mackenzie Brooke in 2020, but he created his own history in the 2022 edition of the race which began in 1892.
Tena Koutou stormed home from near last to win this year’s cup and hand Durrant a record-breaking seventh victory in the race after previously tasting success with Great Destiny (2009-10), Double Barrel (2011), Hibernian (2013), Peck (2014) and Mackenzie Brooke (2020).
Although he was not on course for the historic moment, Durrant spoke of how much the result means to him and his team.
“It’s something I wasn’t following too closely to be honest,” Durrant said.
“But to be spoken about in the same breath as Don who was a fantastic trainer and had some real top liners is a great achievement for the team and credit to all involved.
“We certainly target this race and I’m in a luxurious position where I have a fair few bullets to fire.
“I’m very lucky I’ve got lot of options for races like this and a good number of horses but you still have to win them.
“To win seven cups is something we don’t take lightly and I’m very proud of the staff behind the scenes, it’s my name out there but it takes a lot more than just me and it’s a fantastic result for our stable.”
Progressive four-year-old Tena Koutou started a $3.20 favourite in the $100,000 Wellington & Reeves Albany Cup (2100m) and settled last after jumping from gate 12 for jockey Clint Johnston-Porter.
Rank outsider Meteor Light ($155 chance) led a big part of the race before being headed by Wild Fusion at the top of the home straight.
Johnston-Porter had begun making his move at the 800m mark as he put Tena Koutou into the race and he produced a terrific finish, outsprinting his rivals to charge down the outside and win by a length over Geraldton Cup winner Sugar Cain.
Wild Fusion battled on bravely to run third, the best of the local runners, while Morton’s Fork race wide throughout and did well to grab fourth ahead of the fast-finishing Western King.
Durrant believes dropping 2kg in weight after a “plain” run at his last start was important in the cup triumph for the son of Blackfriars.
“After he won the Aquanita we were going to target the provincial cups and try and maximise the Westspeed stayers bonus,” he said.
“We certainly weren’t going in super confident, I thought he was a fraction disappointing at his previous start with 60kg on his back but we were hoping the drop to 58 was going to be enough.
“He has done his job and with Westspeed won up around $300,000, we’ve tried to place him as well as possible and he’s very honest and can stay.”
Durrant said Tena Koutou will be nominated for this Sunday’s $100,000 The Jericho Cup Qualifier (3100m) but was unlikely to start and instead be sent for a spell before returning for a possible crack at the Kalgoorlie Cup later in the season.
Johnston-Porter, 23, has now won two Albany cups after also guiding Mackenzie Brooke to victory for Durrant two years ago.
“Adam’s been sending horses to all these cup races and its my job to try and win them all,” he said.
“I won an Aquanita on him at Belmont in the wet over 2000m and he outstayed them that day and he’s perfect for these now he’s getting up in the weights.
“He’s the best Adam, he went leading trainer 10 years in a row and he’s going to continue to do it.
“It’s a big accomplishment winning these races but he sets horses for them and gets the results.”
Durrant and Johnston-Porter had a winning double at the meeting after earlier scoring victory with Tales Of Manhattan.
