3 minute read
Trainer and jockey quotes after Personal win the Group 1 Kennedy Oaks at Flemington on Thursday.
Race Result:
1st: Personal (D Oliver/T Dabernig & B Hayes) - $6
2nd: Salto Angel (B Melham/D O'Brien) - $21
3rd: Montefilia (H Bowman/D Payne) - $1.80F
Winning Time: 2:36.98 Last 600m: 37.74
Margins: 1¼L x 1¼L
Damien Oliver you are the master. His 122nd Group 1.
— Racing.com (@Racing) November 5, 2020
Personal wins the Kennedy Oaks giving Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig their first G1 in their new partnership. @FlemingtonVRC @Lindsayparkrace pic.twitter.com/l7E4ed9kjC
Winning Trainer: Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes (Tom speaking)
"It's a massive thrill. Very proud of the filly. It's been a process but she keeps running well. I'm thrilled for Oli. I've known Oli since I was a teenager and I think we needed all his experience and vigour late to get her home.
"She ended up winning by about a length on the line so it looked like it was going to be tight. We're thrilled for all the owners and it's a massive thrill.
"She's a very good filly. If you watch her run in the Blue Diamond, I know it's not relevant but after the post she was in front. She can sprint and stay and she's got some magnificent attributes. I think we haven't seen the best of her yet. I think there is still more to come.
"One day she'll make a beautiful broodmare for the Coolmore team.
"I'd like to thank all the Lindsay Park team, we've got an amazing facility. She comes home in between races and she gets out in the paddock during the day. We've had to peak her for today's event and I got a real kick out of that. Magnificent.
His wife, Cassi, wore lucky colours today: "My very supportive wife, she puts up with a lot behind the scenes, and my three beautiful children."
From Ben Hayes: "It's so good to do it with Tom and I know that Dad back in Hong Kong would be super excited.
First Group 1 as a partnership: "We've been knocking on the door this spring: second in the Thousand Guineas with Personal and Aysar just got beaten in the Caulfield Guineas so we've been very close and it's a big relief and big thrill to win this race.
"It was the first day looking at her in the yard that she looked fit. She's a big, strong mare and I think that run in the Wakeful really just blew her out. Today you could just see that bit of rib.
"Great ride by Oli, he had no plans going into the race and when she missed the start he went to 'Plan B' and luckily everything went right and they ran along. Big thrill."
Winning Jockey: Damien Oliver
"It was a good tough effort. It was a real slog, the last four or five hundred metres with the second and third horses. She's had a great prep and hadn't been able to win, but she's won the one mattered. She's was really tough and it was a good win."
Peaking physically today: "She probably looked as tight as she has and she's always been a lovely strong filly with plenty to work with and it's a credit to Ben and Tom, they've done a good job with her and she's really peaked today."
Tempo: "I thought it was a nice tempo. It wasn't crazy, or anything like that. They did jam up a little bit around the 800 to 600 when there was a few tiring but fortunately I was on the outside and was able to continue my momentum."
In Wakeful did she give you confidence to run out the trip: "She did. She had been running really well without being able to win. She's genuine but had kept finding one better. It was good to see her finally get a good one, in a Group 1 here today because she's been very consistent."
"The second and third horses seemed to have my measure early in the straight, but she outstayed them in the end. She was really tough."
Beaten Jockeys:
Danny O'Brien on Salto Angel: "We had always hoped to get her into a strong mile-and-a-half race and that's how she's always profiled and she got that today and showed what she's capable of. She's been beaten by the better filly on the day. We've had this race in mind for 12 months and she's got here on the day and performed, but unfortunately we've run second."
Danny O'Brien on Vilanculous (failed to finish): "She was up on speed but she shortened up a bit early in the straight so I suspect she's hit the end of her preparation. We'll see how she is in the morning but I would suggest she's going for a spell."
Billy Egan on Star Of Eden: "She just didn't stay."
Willie Pike on Art Glass: "She was pretty disappointing. She was travelling at the top of the straight but didn't give me much off the bridle."
Brian Higgins on Swindon Lass: "She's come to the end of her preparation."
Craig Newitt on Cafe Rizu: " She's run really good, she just didn't stay the trip".
Kerrin McEvoy on Tyche Goddess: "She didn't back up off the firm track on Saturday into today. She wasn't there."
Hugh Bowman on Montefilia: "I think the trip found her out to be honest."
Mark Zahra on Succeed Indeed: "She ran well. She ran as good as she could."
Jye McNeil on Yatton: "Question mark on whether she stayed. The race set up for something back, but she is probably not quite there."
Craig WIlliams on Miravalle: "It's a shame. We had high expectations that if there was anyone that could topple the favourite that it would be us. She trained-on really well from her run on Saturday. She gave me a beautiful ride throughout but she was wasn't good enough against these staying fillies, today."
John Allen on Biarchi: "She ran well. She just was as good as she is at this stage of her career."
Ben Melham in Salto Angel: "Ran well. She just was unlucky to run into a good on the day. Every hope."
Robbie Griffiths on Hard Squeeze: "As it's turned out we rode her too close to the speed in a brutal race. It was a really strongly run Oaks. She'll go for a spell now and come back in the autumn."
