3 minute read
Mathew Toogood looks back at the support races at Rosehill.
Rise To It takes another step up with city win
Lightly raced galloper Rise To It has made it three-straight wins with his first city success.
Initially slated to run in a benchmark-68 at Hawkesbury on Thursday, light nominations for Saturday's Cincotta Chemist Handicap (1800m) at Rosehill prompted connections of the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained four-year-old to give him his chance at a city win.
Rise To It ($4.20) backed up his two recent wins at Hawkesbury with a half-length success over favourite Touristic ($3.20) in Saturday's race, with leader Made By Khan ($11) finishing another length away third.
Apprentice Dylan Gibbons says Rise To It, who has now won four of his 10 starts, is still a work in progress.
"The scary thing is, mentally he's so far behind where he is physically," Gibbons said.
"In the run, he's travelling OK but he's almost going sideways taking up three spots at once.
"When I first clicked him up I was confident a long way from home.
"I didn't want to get there too soon but I had to keep his momentum up. When he got there he's had a little look around and was waiting for something to come to make him go on again.
"If he keeps progressing the way he is, who knows where he'll get to."
Speycaster turns tables on Father's Day
Imported stayer Speycaster has turned the tables on his last-start conqueror, Father's Day, with a determined victory in the Petaluma Handicap over 2400m.
Father's Day defeated Speycaster in a midweek staying race on the Kensington track at Randwick late last month but the Chris Waller-trained six-year-old reversed the placings on the Bjorn Baker-trained gelding with a determined victory on Saturday.
Speycaster ($3.30 favourite), who began his career in the UK and was having his sixth Australian start for the Waller stable, got the better of Father's Day ($8.50) over the concluding stages to score by a long neck.
The winner's stablemate Caboce ($3.60) was another 3-1/4-lengths away third.
Waller's racing manager Charlie Duckworth said Speycaster, who was ridden to victory by Tommy Berry, was still a work in progress but has staying potential for the future.
"What he has done this preparation since arriving in New South Wales has been outstanding," Duckworth said.
After three unplaced runs in Victoria at the start of the season, Speycaster has since won at Hawkesbury and Rosehill with a runner-up finish on Randwick's Kensington track in between.
"He's going from strength to strength and I'm sure next preparation is when you'll really see him at his best," Duckworth said.
Eagle Nest continues on her winning way
Eagle Nest has continued her unbeaten preparation with an all-the-way success in the TAB Handicap (1100m).
Jockey Brett Prebble was able to cross to the lead in the small field on the Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained Eagle Nest ($3.70), and the four-year-old mare was never headed from there.
Eagle Nest defeated Dollar Magic ($4.60) by 1-1/4-lengths with $3.30 favourite Miss Hellfire another half-length away third.
The field was reduced to just five runners after Waikiki and Smiling Prophet were scratched at the barriers.
Jockey Kathy O'Hara, who was to ride Waikiki, was stood down from her remaining rides with Racing NSW stewards reporting O'Hara had sustained a foot injury in the barrier incident.
Eagle Nest now has four wins from 10 starts but she has pieced together three-straight victories this campaign.
"She's just come back really well," Alexiou said.
"She's got a lot of confidence about her now.
"Last preparation we couldn't even think about backing her up 10 days after a race because it would take her 10 days to get over a race.
"She's just a fit mare in good form, full of confidence. Brett offset the barrier in the first 100 metres and they were probably never going to catch her."
Shadows Of Love snares Midway Handicap win
Jockey Tommy Berry believes the class of Shadows Of Love showed when the lightly raced mare surged late to win the Midway Handicap.
Shadows Of Love was sent out the $2.60 favourite in the 1200m race but Berry was forced to wait on a run in the home straight before getting clear air inside the final 200m.
The Kim Waugh-trained Shadows Of Love sprinted quickly to overhaul Sumo Star ($6) and win by a long neck with a long head back to Flying Destiny ($8.50) in third.
Berry said he was mindful not to get into a bumping duel with Black Duke on his outside in the home straight and had to wait until a run finally presented when that galloper started to weaken.
"I think her class was too good for them," Berry said.
"Her price suggested that going into it.
"I had Black Duke outside of me and he was twice the size of her.
"I was going to get in too much of a bumping duel with him and I thought I couldn't do that and win.
"I just went back in and copped my medicine. I knew the gap was mine, I just had to wait for it to come the second time.
"She was too good in the end."
Shadows Of Love has now won three of her nine starts with Saturday's victory her first city success.
Quote of the Day: "We're going to see a really nice colt in the autumn."- jockey Regan Bayliss after Shangri La Express won the Golden Gift
