3 minute read
Gelding hands Pierro with his 22nd stakes winner.
Sacramento (3 g ex Alzora by Redoute's Choice) prevailed in a close finish to land the St Leger (Listed, 2800m) at Flemington on Saturday and in the process became 23rd stakes winner for the Coolmore Stud-based sire Pierro (Lonhro) and the seventh out of a Redoute's Choice (Danehill) mare.
The win also handed Gai Waterhouse - who now trains in partnership with Adrian Bott - her third consecutive victory in the Listed race and fifth in seven years.
After racing midfield for much of the race, the gelding came with a late run up the centre of the track to beat Saint Eustace (Tavistock) by a nose.
Stable representative Beau Dunn said he was overwhelmed with the narrow victory.
"I wasn't sure if I was going to pick up the phone when he came back," Dunn said.
"Ben explained after the last two rides that he had for us (Scholarly and The Lifeline) that there was a breeze down the back and he wasn't sure if he wanted to face the breeze.
"So Gai said 'I'll leave it up to him, he's the professional'.
"He just got held up from the 1000 (metres) to the top of the straight and I thought that maybe he wouldn't get there in time, but with vigorous riding, that's why Ben Melham was on, and he out-punched them late."
Purchased by Paul Moroney for $160,000 at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale from the Supreme Thoroughbreds draft, the Robert Crabtree-bred Sacramento is out of Alzora (Redoute's Choice) and therefore bred on one of the most potent crosses in the stud book and one that has now yielded seven stakes winners headed by three Group 1 scorers; Arcadia Queen, Regal Power and Levendi.
The daughter of Redoute's Choice (Danehill) landed the 2013 edition of the Vanity Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) for trainer David Hayes and she is from the family of Group 2 winner Te Akau Coup (Thorn Park) and Listed winner Don Garcia (Danehill).
Alzora has a two-year-old gelding by Woodside Park's Written Tycoon (Iglesia) and she foaled a colt by Cambridge Stud shuttler Almanzour (Wootton Bassett) in 2019, while was covered by Darley's young stallion Impending (Lonhro) in September.
Sacramento capped off a fine day for the in-form Waterhouse and Bott stable with the pair having sent out Dawn Passage (3 c Dawn Approach - Raja Lane by Devaraja) to win the Hawkesbury Guineas (Gr 3, 1600m) at Rosehill earlier in the afternoon.
One of the most satisfying results I've experienced. Sacramento went from racing in the box seat to near third last turning in. It took truly masterful hands from @BMelham to win the St Leger. Thank you to Ben & our Flemington team, and lastly a big kiss to Sacramento https://t.co/OCx94Zg2s4
— Gai Waterhouse (@GaiWaterhouse1) April 25, 2020
