3 minute read

Trainer and jockey quotes after Liqueuro takes out the Benchmark 70 3YO Lexus Summer Event Trophy at Flemington on Saturday.

Race Result:

1st: Liqueuro (C Alderson/J Kah) - $4.20F
2nd: Alloway (M Price & M Kent Jnr/M Zahra) - $9
3rd: Solar Apex (C Waller/D Thornton) - $5.50

Winning Time: 2:04.30 Last 600m: 38.22

Margins: ½ Neck x ¾L

Liqueuro and Jamie Kah combine for the win in R4 at Flemington.

— Racing.com (@Racing) January 16, 2021

Winning Trainer: Cindy Alderson

Mornington maiden to this race: "Basically it (this race) was a three-year-old race and it was 2000 metres. That's probably the simplicity of it all, really. He's always given us every indication that he was going to stay.

"I'd given some thought to running him over 2000 metres at his first start. I thought he really did need 2000 metres, which he needed every inch today to win. He's been one of those horses that he doesn't do a lot in trackwork but he does keep on keeping on, keeps on finding.

"It's a shame that Jason Maskiell couldn't take the ride because he had a fall, but we got a great replacement in Jamie and she summed him up well."

Horse's career so far: "It's had a lot of ups and downs. I originally didn't have him. Robbie Laing picked him out and Robbie's got a great eye for a horse, so have to give him credit for that. When Robbie ran into a bump in the road I ended up with him. Some of his happy owners are still here, the guy that bred him is still in him so it's a good story all-round."

What's next: "Obviously we were just going to see what he did today but he's a fairly lightly framed horse so I don't know whether he's ready to go much further right now. We'll just had a bit of a gap now and we might even look at some of the races over a trip here. The further the better."

Winning Jockey: Jamie Kah

"Cindy gave me one instruction, 'don't ride it pretty' and I'm pretty sure I didn't ride it pretty.

"A big raw horse and he wasn't going to get there until the last 100 metres when he dig deep. The further the better for him, I think. Normally I don't like to get going that soon, I like to get a trail but we just made the running from the 800 (metre mark) and started clicking up the tempo. There was a nice tempo there for him, he relaxed. He's still doing a lot wrong so there's plenty of upside.

Getting further: "I think he'll do it naturally on ability. I think he's going to need blinkers down the track. He might do a bit too much with them at the minute though. I think they've got that up their sleeve but for now I think he's putting them together so I think stepping up in trip next start and you'll see a more improved horse."

Jamie Kah on beaten favourite Hasseltoff earlier - asked if it was a horror story: "Yes. Unlucky. Donndubhan rolled off the fence slightly and I thought we were going to get a run for a moment but he was probably a little bit flat as well. Obviously unlucky but I think he was probably better suited to 2000 metres now."