3 minute read
Trainer and jockey quotes after the Rubaroc Grand Handicap Classic Prelude at Flemington on Saturday taken out by Sparkle.
Race Result:
1st: Sparkle (D O'Brien/B Shinn) - $
2nd: Shock 'Em Ova (A Rae/C Williams) - $
3rd: Independent Road (B&JD Hayes/M Zahra) - $
Winning Time: 2:02.18 Last 600m: NA
Margins: Length x Long Neck
SPARKLE
— Racing.com (@Racing) March 11, 2023
It's the first Australian win for Japanese-bred mare, Sparkle, in the opener at Flemington @DOBrienRacing @blake_shinn #JRA pic.twitter.com/AMUMRCCS6g
Winning Trainer: Danny O'Brien
On the partnership with Blake Shinn: "Blake's had a lot to do with her, he trialled her two or three times before she went to the races and we've been finding our feet with her.
"She had had a year off before she went back to the races for the first time at the 1400 and she just needed those two to blow out the cobwebs and getting back to the 2000 has been a real plus and he's rated her perfectly there today."
On backing up: "It just seemed a very suitable race and she just seemed a bit fresh and above herself last week and I just thought off a seven-day break it might bring her to her best.
"She paraded a lot more relaxed here today and she's raced very well."
On whether she can get to Black Type: "She hadn't raced for a year before she kicked off this campaign, so whatever she does this campaign will improve her.
"If she can go to a decent level now we'll certainly look at coming back for the spring."
Winning Jockey: Blake Shinn
On the way the race panned out: "I pretty much just rode the horse instead of the way the race could have been run.
"Froggy (Craig Newitt) was going to kick up and lead, but my horse is a galloper - she's a free-roller, she raced in Japan prior to being here and they run Japanese races at a brutal tempo - so I think she can absorb pressure - I know she can - and we just rode her to be comfortable.
"If you see the film, she had her ears pricked the whole way.
"I thought I had a good enough run and then I picked it up because obviously the fancied runners were going to be spotting me a start, so my asset was to get rolling and if they were going to chase me they were going to have to have a bit of stamina, which I know my girl has got.
On the win for connections: "Great win, great for the owner Mr Anderson, who brought her out from Japan, and well done to Danny.
"We've liked her for some time, when I jumped her out at Geelong, and it's good to see her come here today and get a Flemington win."
On the preparation to date: "I was pretty confident she could run well first-up at Sandown and she was three-wide, posted, but might just have needed the run fitness wise and you see her last week in the yard, she was hot, her head was not quite on the job whereas today on the back-up she was much more calmer.
"I still think she's still got a little way to go but she's improving all the time and they take a little while to acclimate these imported horses and she'll just get better and better and I think she's got a nice race in her."
