Flemington: All the winners
Race 7 – The Elms Handicap LR 1400m
Winning horse: Cafe Millenium
Winning Jockey: Celine Gaudray
Such a great partnership: "I love riding this horse. He’s the ultimate best horse to ride. You get on him, he does everything you ask him to do. Today the race just shaped out perfectly for us."
Confident throughout?: "There was a lot more speed than I anticipated. It was nice to see that and when they slowed up, I was able to peel out three-wide and let him gradually come into the race. He’s a big striding horse, he got all the room he needed. He was too tough for them."
Winning trainers: Ben, Will and JD Hayes (JD speaking)
Clicking with Celine: "A big thank-you to Ron Finemore giving Celine the opportunity as well. He backs in young people. He’s stuck by her and she’s ridden him a treat every time. They have a good affinity and that was a beautiful ride. When they backed off, she put him in galloping room, and it was a very strong, authoritative win. He’s a good Flemington horse."
Her hands, her style?: "I think they just click. She’s got good hands. She’s a very good horse lady. She’s very under-rated. She does a lot of work for us and we’re happy to put her on when we can."
Changes in last six months: "We haven’t got any gear on his head. He’ll improve again when we get the winkers on and if we ever do get the blinkers on, I think he’ll improve again. There’s plenty of wriggle room there and I think this Flemington racetrack really suits him as well. I think we’ll steer him towards this races as well."
Race 6 – Be Captivated Trophy 2500m
Winning horse: Berkeley Square
Winning Jockey: Luke Nolen
Winning on Lightning Day: "The day itself means a lot to me. It’s good to get a result on a day when one of the best horses this country has ever seen and one, I had a great knowledge of. It’s great to get a result for Dan and his team. They do a good job and with the weight today, he’s done a good job."
Relishes this track?: "He does. He does relish big tracks, but they ran it at a modest tempo. I was a fair way back, but we blended into the race really well. It wasn’t an issue the weight, we were able to blend in at our leisure, and he was too good in the end."
Winning trainer: Dan O'Sullivan
Thoughts during race: "It was a fantastic ride by Luke. He was a bit slow out and even when he past the winning post the first time, I thought I had him going back on the fence at the tail of the field, but it worked out. He was able to get out, get into a spot. His run last week was fantastic. He’s a terrifically consistent horse, especially when he gets to the outside. He doesn’t look like he quickens that much, but he’s a big striding horse. To win over 2500 (metres), is great. We went around in a Derby as a three-year-old and didn’t have much luck and we haven’t been far away in a Bendigo Cup, a Geelong Cup, a Queen Elizabeth, so it’s pleasing to see him tick this box off."
Looked like his Ballarat Cup win: "Full credit to Luke, he worked it out. It’s good for Luke to get a win today. He’s had a bit of a hell-of-a-week, so it’s good to see him back in the winner’s circle."
Future: "Adelaide Cup is our go. David Peacock who bred the horse is very keen to try and get an Adelaide Cup on his mantlepiece. He’s the right horse to go to it. It was pleasing to see him run out that trip, with that weight. It’s really good going forward. We still have time to come back to the Roy Higgins, but he hasn’t had a spell for a long time, so he’ll need a break at some time."
Race 5 – The Schweppes Plate BM90 1200m
Winning horse: Ndola
Winning Jockey: Luke Currie
Tough win: "We just got there. Full credit to the boys. They gave him a freshen, 1200 (metres) down the straight, it was a great training effort by them."
Good association with the horse: "He was always travelling well, but he just needed a bit of room. Rue De Royale had skipped a bit, and it always looked that way, but when he got that room, he burst through and held that gallop and was lucky enough to get that bob in."
Winning trainers: Ben, Will and JD Hayes (JD speaking)
Coming back from 1400m to 1200m: "He had been running really nicely but we thought we would just give him a bit of time between runs because he was rock hard fit. He had a tick-over jump-out and was back to 1200 metres and he let go with a sharp turn of foot. It was a beautifully judged ride by Luke Currie. He was just looking for daylight and getting held in for those few strides might have been to his benefit because he then launched. It’s a terrific win for the Devitt and Gordon’s who have been such terrific supporters of the stable."
Another straight assignment?: "Possibly. He did have a look down the straight as a three-year-old when he was thrown in the deep end and he got a bit amorous that day. Now as a hardened gelding, he seems to have a good liking for it today. I would dare say we will see Ndola down the straight again."
Race 4 – Vobis Gold Prelude 3YO 1100m
Winning horse: Perilous Fighter
Winning Jockey: Luke Cartwright
Impressive display: "It was. It was a good win by this horse. He has been a bit hit and miss, but Clayton assured me that he had run some good races down the straight behind some good horses. He was very well placed today and he got in well with the claim. A VOBIS Gold race like this, it’s a very good day out for the owners."
VOBIS do a lot: "It’s very good prizemoney. It’s one of the good races I’ve won, prizemoney wise, so it’s good for me, good for the owners and good for the trainer."
Winning trainer: Clayton Douglas (Anthony Mithen speaking)
Association with Clayton: "It’s been unreal for Clayton to show faith in this horse. We took him to a weanling sale and he said, 'I really like this horse’. We didn’t really want to part with him and he said ‘what about I buy half of it’ and train the horse and we’ll let you grow him out the Rosemont way. It’s been a really strong partnership with this horse and I didn’t realise he was up to $400,000 until a few days ago. It’s a great achievement and Clayton has done a magnificent job. He has been on this journey with us for quite a few years now. We’re very proud of the horse and I’m very proud of Clayton’s achievements whether that is with our horses or others. He’s a good young trainer who is a real student of the game and a student of his artform and he seems to get better every season."
Race 3 – Desirable Stakes 3YO LR F 1400m
Winning horse: Sass Appeal
Winning Jockey: Damian Lane
Did it feel as easy as it looked?: "It was. She stepped a touch awkward and then she hits her stride quickly. The thing about her is she switches off completely in front. I was able to go really steady through the first part of the race then steadily build as we got into the race. From the 600 (metres) I made sure we quickened up and made sure it was hard for the ones chasing."
Scope for further: "She’s putting together a good record and 1600 (metres) will be no problem. Hopefully there’s some nice races ahead of her."
Winning trainer: Danny O'Brien
Looked to click with Damian: "It was a straightforward map for her there today. She looked to get an unchallenged lead, and that’s what happened. I told him don’t be afraid to rate her a bit as she can maintain early speed and closing speed. He asked them to go out in some reasonably strong fractions, and she still kicked strongly inside the last 200 and 300 metres."
Next: "I think we’ll go to the Kewney. It’s a big step to take on those horses that are seasoned (in the Guineas) up over the spring and the colts are a decent division with Observer looking top class. Unless something happened, I think the more sensible thing is to wait three weeks and stay in fillies’ grade and run in three weeks in the Group 2 here in the Kewney Stakes."
Thinking of the future?: "We’ve got a lot of hope that she can go to a very high level in the spring. She’s been well protected by us so far and she’s had a good build-up. I would expect the Kewney to be her last run and then we can hopefully get her to a really good race in the spring, something like the Myer on Derby Day."
Race 2 – BM78 2000m
Winning horse: Tarvue
Winning Jockey: Luke Cartwright
Excited: "Very happy. I know what ability this has got. When I sat on her at Flemington here and she won, her run over 2500 metres, was another gallant effort and at Caulfield, I just made a mistake on her. I can’t thank the ownership group and John Sadler enough for keeping me on the mare because I know she goes really good. Today it worked out perfect, she had a nice draw, wasn’t cluttered up and I was able to let her use her big stride from about 700 (metres). When she’s able to use her big stride, she can let her really good turn of foot go."
Confidence up the straight: "When she hits the front here at Flemington, she almost thrives off it. She got beaten, I felt at her second start, because she was on the back-up. She thrives when she uses her stride and I think going forward, Sads has got a good staying mare on his hands."
Winning trainer: John Sadler
How she is going: "Apart from her first run this time in, all her runs have been really good. I thought Luke (Cartwright) rode her very badly at Caulfield last Saturday week and then he came out and won three afterwards, but he put his hands up and said yes he shouldn’t have allowed it to get in on the fence or should have led in what was a mediocre pace race. That’s gone, we put him back on, and he got the job done."
Where to next: "I would say the Torney Cup, the Moonee Valley race at Pakeham. A mare, it’s a Listed race, Black Type, it would be great to have beside her name."
Race 1 – TAB Talindert Stakes 2YO LR 1100m
Winning horse: Hard Kick
Winning Jockey: Damian Lane
Hard to pull up: "He was. Once the other horses got near him, he wanted to race them, so he’s just a natural competitor and he took a bit of slowing down after the line."
How does he measure up?: "He’s a good horse. He’s been impressive at the jump-outs. You’re never sure going up to 1100 (metres) with two-year-olds off the back of 800-metre jumpouts, but he did give the feel he was going to be better past 800 metres and that's what he’s done today. He’s gone to another level and really sustained a good gallop throughout. I thought before today that he was a good horse, but just off the better ones, but off the back of that, he might be right up there."
Winning trainers: Ben, Will and JD Hayes (JD speaking)
What caught the eye at Ready To Run: "He was bought in the Sydney ready To Run. Dad was representing the company and he was purchased for connections. What a thrill. He’s been very well educated at home and we thought he was pretty good and he won with authority there. We’re not sure he’s as good as Miss Finland, but he looked pretty good there."
Next week?: "We’ll keep the option open next week as he did win with head on his chest there, but there’s plenty of options going ahead with this horse. It’s very exciting."
What impressed the most?: "Winning by four… That was the most easy part of it, but how he was able to control the tempo and kick off. It was a very professional performance."
