3 minute read

Trainer and jockey quotes following the Four Pillars Midway won by Sweet Mercy at Rosehill on Saturday.

Race Result:

1st: Sweet Mercy (D Payne/D Gibbons) - $19
2nd: Oakfield Waratah (K Buchanan/A Roper) - $12
3rd: Burning Need (R McConville/Z Lloyd) - $9.50

Winning Time: 1:29.75 Last 600m: 35.1

Margins: 1¼L x Nose

"BANG! Sweet Mercy from no where!" @djgibbons22 threads the needle for the @DPayneRacing in the Four Pillars Midway. pic.twitter.com/ZSRgYvaeZ6

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) November 4, 2023

Winning Trainer: David Payne

The Back-up was a good decision: "Yeah, she's only a little thing if you look at her but if you ride her right, she's got a hell of a finish.

On the ride: "Yeah, I think he owed me one."

On the emotions of winning such a big race: "The Four Pillars, we only keep a small string. And it's a Rating-64 and it's half-a-million dollars. I mean, gee what a win. It's good for racing. It brings new owners in and it keeps them happy."

On a plan coming together: "We were running out of time so we backed her up. She's had a bit of an easy week. Thank God she's only a little filly because she doesn't need much work.

Winning Jockey: Dylan Gibbons

On taking a tight run at finish: "I may be tall but I'm skinny and the horse is skinny too.

"I was just travelling so well and when they pitched me half a run I thought, well it's now or never, and to the horse's credit, she was very brave. If she didn't want that, she wouldn't have got it, so I think we owe her a fair few carrots."

Nervous a split would come?: "I was because when I started to really pick up I thought, I've got a lot horse and not many options and it was probably half an option and I turned it into a full option, so thankfully she was full of running and got the job done."