3 minute read
Trainer and jockey quotes following the PJ Bell Stakes won by Facile at Randwick on Saturday.
Race Result:
1st: Facile (G Ryan & S Alexiou/T Schiller) - $11
2nd: Infancy (K Lees/D Gibbons) - $17
3rd: French Endeavour (M Smith/J Collett) - $11
Winning Time: 1:11.24 Last 600m: 35.26
Margins: ½ Neck x ¾L
Facile wins the G3 PJ Bell Stakes, making it a great day for @G1TySchil!@aus_turf_club @GRyanRacing pic.twitter.com/3aM5A2Osel
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 6, 2024
Winning Trainer: Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou (Gerald Ryan comments)
Satisfying win?: "A lot of satisfaction. I trained the mum, I trained the father. She has always promised a lot, a couple of good fillies beat her in races as a two-year-old."
"She had a setback with a (bone) chip then I probably trained her too hard in the spring, trying to make her run 1400.
"After her second run here when she missed the start and she wasn't one hundred per cent happy, I said to the crew, 'we'll freshen her up and aim her at this race, whack the blinkers on and see how we go'.
"Tyler was confident. He came out on Tuesday week ago and rode her in a jump out and rode another two fillies, we had three in work. I gave him the pick and he picked her ten days ago.
On Tyler riding: "He's a good judge. We gave him his first provincial win when he came from the country, he gave Sterling his first city win when Sterling and I joined up together.
"I've been a big fan of Tyler ever since he was a four-kilo kid up around the bush.
"He's a three-time Group-One winning jockey now within six month."
Special given you train sire and dam: "It does give you a lot of satisfaction. The mother was difficult, she won a stakes race on Everest day and never won another race. We've had a few out of the family now.
On buying her: "Bert Vieira bred it, put it through the sales. We never told anyone we were interested in her and a couple of the crew that joined after we bought her, we paid $400,000 for her, well they were bidding on her and they jumped in with us.
"She is a valuable filly now."
Winning Jockey: Tyler Schiller
On the win: "It makes a good day even better."
"It's good to win on her. Last start she was a little bit tardy away, she's a bit of a temperamental mare.
"To get a Group win on the board for her, it's a big credit for her. The team has done well.
"She had a really good kick up the rise. I was surprised that one actually got that close to her.
On leading: "I felt like we got it pretty comfortably. She travelled up underneath me really well so for her to quicken like that ( was great)."
On giving up KFC to ride the Bon Ho-owned Celestial Legend at 49kg in Doncaster: "I don't think I'll be having KFC (tonight) but I'll be having whatever Mr Ho has."
Beaten Jockeys:
Blake Shinn (Kristilli): "She ran OK. She was overdoing it a bit. Get her into a fast run race."
Adam Hyeronimus (Platinum Jubilee): "Just slow out and far too aggressive through the run and that was the end result."
Dylan Gibbons (Infancy): "Fantastic run. She is in a rich vein of form. Full credit to the team."
Jordan Childs (Miraval Rose): "She just couldn't accelerate on that wet ground. Back her on better ground."
Jason Collett (French Endeavour): "Great run. Attacked the line well. Sets up well in a couple of weeks."
Jamie Kah (Commemorative): "She actually ran really well. She just pulled too hard on this track today."
Tim Clark (Pajanti): "She just found the back in distance and up in grade a bit too much for her."
Luke Currie (Isthmus): "Wide from the draw and weakened late."
Zac Lloyd (Countyourblessings): "I think she accounted herself well in this grade."
Rachel King (Unique Ambition): "A good effort. Probably 1200m is a little sharp for her in this grade."
Tommy Berry (August Bloom): "She has come back in good order. 1400m in a couple of weeks will be spot on."
