3 minute read

Trainer and jockey quotes after The Showdown at Caulfield won by Finance Tycoon.

Race Result:

1st: Finance Tycoon (Luke Nolen/Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes) - $3.20F
2nd: Literary Magnate (Dean Yendall/Matthew Williams) - $6.50
3rd: Scissor Step (Damian Lane/Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra) - $26

Winning Time: 1:08.91 Last 600m: N/A

Margins: 4½L x Short ½ Head

Finance Tycoon... WOW!

Simply dominant in the $1m The Showdown.@MelbRacingClub @lindsayparkrace pic.twitter.com/f5o1ODL9vG

— Racing.com (@Racing) April 17, 2021

Winning Trainer: Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes (Ben speaking)

"I think he put up his Blue Diamond run there. He was so strong to the line and he wasn't stopping. I think he showed everyone today that he's a real quality horse and a fantastic horse to have in the yard.

"He's a pleasure and he's done a really good job because he's been in (work) since the spring and hasn't really had a break. To keep a two-year-old up this long and to win that impressively is such a good effort by the team at home. Huge thrill."

Keeping the horse well and 'fresh': "It's pretty easy at our farm. We've got the water walkers, day paddocks, pools. We find that we're able to keep horses fresh for a long time and we find we can have horses winning at their ninth or tenth runs.

"A big congratulations to Lukey (Nolen). He took luck out of the equation and to all the owners in Hong Kong as well."

Riding instructions: "We told Luke to be nice and positive. He rode him beautifully and let him get into a good rhythm. There's only one corner here at Caulfield and he travelled like a good horse a long way out. It was good to see."

Winning Jockey: Luke Nolen

"It's not often the case (that it goes to plan) especially from awkward draws. He eliminated that by the way he stepped and he looked like the winner a long way out. He was very brave in the Blue Diamond but I felt like he relaxed better for me last start and had a better kick.

"He's been a very good two-year-old - a model of consistency. His form reflects some of the best two-year-old form in the country, so he's been placed well but continued to race well.

"I got the chance to amble into the race at my leisure and he took care of it. You like them to put the foot on the throat of a race when asked and he did that. We invoked the mercy rule late and let him coast home."

Future: "He'll probably stick around the sprint trips - 1200 metre mark or even 1000. A let-up now and may be aimed at some of the early three-year-old races. Form will dictate where he goes in the spring but it is looking very promising."