3 minute read
Trainer and jockey quotes following Silent Sovereign and Just Benjamin dead heating in the Global Turf Benchmark 84 Handicap at Ballarat on Saturday.
Race Result:
1st: Silent Sovereign (L Currie/T & C McEvoy) - $9
Just Benjamin (B Prebble/A & S Freedman) - $10
3rd: Seawhatyouthink (D Yendall/M Williams) - $9
Winning Time: 2:03.65 Last 600m: N/A
Margins: Dead Heat x Short Neck
The judge couldn't split them at Ballarat. @FreedmanRacing @mcevoymitchell pic.twitter.com/EnWpjiKtvy
— Racing.com (@Racing) November 20, 2021
Winning Trainer: Tony & Calvin McEvoy (Calvin interviewed)
"She ran super and it is good to share it with a good mate in Sam Freedman but I'm very pleased with the mare. We had her here to peak third-up but at 2000 metres, third-up without a jump out it was a fantastic effort.
"There's more improvement to come. We've just got to work out what we want to do with her. Do we go straight up to 2500 metres or another run at 2000 but she is going so well for connections."
Winning Jockey: Brett Prebble - Just Benjamin
Did he think he'd been nabbed on the line: "I didn't but then 50 yards I was there and he dug deep and lifted then in the last two strides I thought he'd gone close again.
"We were quite far apart and I asked Luke (Currie) what he thought and he said he didn't know. I said 'I'll go you halves anyway'.
"We got the dead heat, we're good mates and it was a good race actually."
Feeling knowing that you've dead heated: "It is better than seeing it second in the frame, I'll give you the tip.
"I reckon he was going to go on to win nicely today but I reckon he was going to win nice today but I think he felt the ground a little bit, in all fairness to the horse.
"I reckon he'd like a bit more cushion in the ground and he'd have let down and probably have won the race easier. He felt the ground but still courageous."
Winning Jockey: Luke Currie - Silent Sovereign
"It is better than running second but not as good as winning outright. We'll take what we can and with a pretty good jockey, I don't mind sharing a win with him, I suppose.
"I thought halfway up the straight that we were there and then his horse really fought. With 50 yards to go I thought we were going to run second and then it was just a bob of the head.
"We had our head down on the line that we might have had won but it was very mixed in the straight. My horse did a good job. She was in that three-wide with cover line but she did get a bit keen when the pace came out of it so it was a nice effort."
