3 minute read
Champion jockey Brendon McCoull put on a master class at his first meeting back from injury to deliver three winners from as many rides at the first meeting of the season under lights in Launceston on Wednesday night.
In Brief
- Premier jockey Brendon McCoull delivers a perfect strike at first meeting back.
- Michbar shows promise as a progressive sprinter
- Fighting Floyd surprises by flying the start.
McCoull was forced to undergo knee surgery in May and has only been back riding in trials for three weeks and went into the meeting slightly underdone on fitness, but it made no difference to the 14-times premiership-winning rider.
He began his treble with a brilliant ride aboard Needs Toasting ($2.30 fav) in a 0-62 over 1400m.
McCoull had the Adam Trinder-trained five-year-old perfectly placed just off the speed set by Berruti ($7) and when he eased the gelding three-wide to submit his challenge he raced to the leader and while not intent on finishing the race off, the son of Needs Further eventually got the job done.
He then jumped aboard another Trinder-trained gelding in Michbar ($4.20) that carried top weight of 60.5kg in the BM68 0ver 1100m, but like Needs Toasting, McCoull gave the gelded son of Whittington the run of the race, peeling out wide and allowing the five-year-old to power home to defeat Geegeeluckystar ($3.80 fav) and Copper Charm ($5.50).
But McCoull saved his best for last, scoring aboard the Imogen Miller-trained Fighting Floyd ($3) in a 0-62 handicap over 1200m.
The gelding drew barrier one which could not have been a worse gate as the gelding usually falls out of the barriers.
But this time he flew the gates and McCoull was able to settle him fourth on the rails and once he was off the rail and three-wide to challenge turning for home the result was never in doubt.
"It's a great way to resume race riding with three from three," McCoull said.
"I went into the meeting thinking I had a couple of excellent winning chances, but I thought Fighting Floyd was poorly drawn and would need heaps of luck, although it never panned out that way, so, I'll take it."
McCoull only expected to be out of action for three months when he first went in for surgery but once under the knife surgeons discovered more repair work than first thought.
"The operation was more involved than we first thought and therefore the recovery was prolonged, but the knee is fine now, and it will only get stronger as the season progresses."
