3 minute read
Trainer and jockey quotes following the Group 3 MostynCopper Aspiration Quality won by Lekvarte at Randwick on Saturday.
Race Result:
1st: Lekvarte (J Pride/T Berry) - $4.20F
2nd: Osmose (G Waterhouse & A Bott/T Clark) - $7
3rd: Rebel Rama (M Conners/J Ford) - $71
Winning Time: 1:35.56 Last 600m: 34.30
Margins: ½L x Neck
The G3 Aspiration Quality goes to Lekvarte for @PrideRacing and @TommyBerry21!@aus_turf_club pic.twitter.com/5B2zeI49zL
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 9, 2024
Winning Trainer: Joe Pride
On the win: "She raced through the summer but just had the three runs and I gave her a freshen up to come back and her run the other day was exceptional. The punters worked that out, she started favourite today but that was a good win."
"She really sprouted wings coming through the centre of them and that's the way she's racing now, as a five-year-old she's really started to hit her straps as a racehorse. And who knows, they might want me to race her on for another 12 months yet. The way she's going, she still seems to be improving which is not totally unusual in a horse her age, but I'm really happy with her."
On the plan to run in this race: "I contemplated, because her run was really good the other day, going to the Coolmore Classic next week but I don't think we would have got a run in it. Who knows, we might be able to back up yet. But this looked the right race for her. She's very good at the Randwick mile, it's that level below. The way she won the Gosford Belle Of The Turf was impressive to the eye and that was again the same today.
Up And down Day: Mainly down so far, but that was a little up. I'm not too worried about Private Eye, I thought his was a ripping trial. The other horse had a tough run, Think About It, for a first-up run. But he's tough and he'll come through it. Character building day.
Winning Jockey: Tommy Berry
On riding Lekvarte: "Joe has always thought she's a better horse getting to the outside, and she probably is. So Joe might have been saying a few other words, I reckon, coming to the 600m but his instructions were pretty simple today - just get her to the outside."
"But she just never steps away brilliantly and no matter how much I wake her up in the gates, she's like, I'm not going anywhere yet, just wait til I'm ready."
"Great to win for the owners."
Beaten Jockeys:
James McDonald (Thalassophile): "Good run. Ready for a step up in trip."
Kerrin McEvoy (Little Mix): "Good run for further."
Tim Clark (Osmose): "Really good return. She is in for a great prep."
Tom Marquand (So Dazzling): "Got caught deep. Obviously she is having her comeback run. She has run alright considering the tough trip."
Zac Lloyd (Gan Teorainn): "Very good first up effort. She will only improve as she steps up in distances."
Tom Sherry (Pierossa): "She was terrific first up. Got a little bit tired late. She will approve out of sight."
Jay Ford (Rebel Rama): "Much improved run. She has been out of sorts of late. That was a good positive run."
Adam Hyeronimus (Ita): "She ran great considering the wide barrier and a slow tempo."
Tyler Schiller (Premise): "I thought a massive run. Just needs that little bit more in trip. I think she will be right in the finish again."
Sam Clipperton (Yankee Hussel): "She has gone terrific. She was slow out which proved costly. For a mare that is going to go back up to 1900m, she is going really well."
Regan Bayliss (Howgoodareyou): "She ran super. Steps up to 2000m next start will be very hard to beat."
Rachel King (Podium Queen): "Really good run. She pinged the gates today and put herself up on speed. Mile might have just stretched her."
Reece Jones (Principessa): "She was super. The drop back to the mile was doing her best work late."
Dylan Gibbons (Blackcomb): "A bit more luck and she would have run right into it."
Jason Collett (Queenmaker): "Too keen in the run. Just doing too much."
Chad Schofield (City Of Lights): "Very good run."
