3 minute read

Trainer and jockey quotes following the Listed Hilton Nicholas Straight Six at Flemington on Saturday won by Romancer.

Race Result:

1st: Romancer (G Begg/L Neindorf) - $101
2nd: I'm Telling Ya (A & A Yargi/M Dee) - $21
3rd: Irish Songs (K Goldman/B Mertens) - $51

Winning Time: 1:10.10  Last 600m: 33.79

Margins: 1L x ¾L

Tell us someone had Romancer... pic.twitter.com/Q4hWyfkWMA

— Racing.com (@Racing) May 22, 2021

Winning Trainer: Grahame Begg

"Funnily enough, my wife said to me last night 'I dont think you've ever had a horse go around at 150-1'. I had one early that was a long price but I thought this horse was over the odds.

"He's got a very good Flemington record but over a bit further. One thing he did this time around, we gave him a jump out on Tuesday on the course proper at Caulfield because obviously with the wet weather in the last couple of weeks we've been a bit selective on the tracks we've been able to work him on.

"He worked very, very well with Sartorial Splendour. He was up alongside him in the finish, but I just thought it was going to be too sharp the 1200 for him today. He's better at 1400 and 1600 metres but he's a grand old horse because he goes to the races and puts in everytime.

"He's a lovely old horse. He's great to do anything with and to get a listed win with him, the owners have been very supportive. We put him away over the summer to bring him back for the winter months and it's great. They've had a lot of thrills out of this horse.

"The target race was actually the Winter Championship Final but I said to Lachie to keep him travelling well within himself. You've just got to ride him like today is not his day but let him hit the line. When he eased around their heels about the 350 (metre mark) I said 'sit sit sit' and then he got that length on them and kept going.

"The horse is very honest and a great horse to have around the stable."

Did he back it: "I think the boss might have had something on it each-way."

Winning Jockey: Lachlan Neindorf

"That's my first winner at Flemington. I'll take it in a listed race. Geez he was super. I jumped him out at Caulfield on the course proper. There was a few nice sprinters in there. Sartorial Splendour led us up. He just towed me along.

"He was in it for a fitness gallop (on Tuesday) but I couldn't fault him. Mr Begg said that he could surprise us with his jump outs leading into his first-up run and then disappoint a little bit.

"Our idea was to drop him out the back, he relaxed, travelled nicely and when I blew him up on the inside, I thought he was going alright.

"At the end of the day it was a fitness come-on run. I wanted to drop him out the barriers, 'find a bum' and produce him late and hopefully we see him hitting the line.

"I was mindful that the outside was the place to be - it seemed to be playing that way with the straight races but seemingly we drew inside and it was going to be more a come-on run so I thought the first priority was to 'find a bum', not much around too much and just let him travel and produce him into the fresh air."