Steve Wolfe galloper Hear Me Sing runs sixth in WATC Derby but no match for dominant winner Alaskan God

Albany galloper Hear Me Sing finished the best performed of the two Steve Wolfe-trained runners in the $400,000 Schweppes WATC Derby (2400m) at Ascot on Saturday.

Let’sdeal and Hear Me Sing made the Albany representation in the three-year-old feature race and both were far from disgraced in the field of 13.

Hear Me Sing ($32) was sent to the early lead by jockey Peter Knuckey after jumping from barrier 11 and set the early tempo before Tell Nothin’ made a mid-race move to snatch the lead.

Knuckey still had Hear Me Sing in the leading division and they fought on bravely in the home straight to run sixth but were no match for the winner.

Alaskan God was in a class of his own in the concluding stages of the Derby, as the Daniel Morton-trained gelding rocketed past his rivals to score a brilliant victory by more than three lengths.

Pale Rider ran second and Black Fantasy was third, more than four lengths behind the Alaskan God.

Hear Me Sing was beaten six lengths in the end and got his head on the side and lay outwards for some distance after the 800m and also raced keenly after being crossed by another runner.

Knuckey said in a post-race interview that the I’m All The Talk gelding ran a “nice race”.

Let’sdeal ($135) jumped from gate two for Andrew Castle and settled midfield in running.

At the 650m mark he was eased off the heels of another runner and ran on to finish ninth, 7.5 lengths off the winner.

“He went super, he just cost himself,” Castle said post-race.

“I’ve got no doubt he would have run a place but when the moves were being made down the back he was too busy hanging in.”

Kia Ora Star ran third for Albany trainer Roy Rogers earlier in the Ascot program and Wolfe’s Ex Sport Girl was another eye-catching run to grab fourth in a two-year-old race.

Watch Me Dance battled on gamely in the home straight of the Crown Perth Handicap (1400m) and Albany-owned galloper God Has Chosen was fourth in the same race.

Big Bada Boom from the Rogers yard lumped 60kg and came from 10th on the turn to run fourth in the final race of the day.