3 minute read
Trainer and jockey quotes following the Procon Developments Apache Cat Classic won by Taunting at Cranbourne on Saturday.
Race Result:
1st: Taunting (M Hickmott/T Nugent) - $6
2nd: Midwest (A & S Freedman/B Allen) - $4 eq fav
3rd: Generation (Maher & Eustace/C Williams) - $4.20
Winning Time: 58.36 Last 600m: N/A
Margins: 2L x Short-½-Head
Winning Trainer: Michael Hickmott
Able to deliver: "It's fantastic. He got his own way in front. I thought Midwest was going to cross us, but Teo took the race by the horns which was fantastic. It's great to have Teo on today. I got him across to South Australia for his first ever city winner on a horse called Cannot Be Serious and he's now winning an Apache Cat for us and two of my biggest supports Darren Thomas and Mark Pilkington along with Tommy Heppinstall. It's wonderful to have a winner in these colours for that ownership group and fantastic to do it on such a great day here at Cranbourne too."
Fast horse: "We've protected his rating. Pilk and I have been pretty conscious of that. Him and I probably made a few mistakes early on in trying to hold him up. I just said to Teo today that Jess (Eaton) has such a great knowledge of the horse and she emphasised from over in Japan not to touch his mouth. I said to Teo just to let him roll, and he's done that. I'm really thrilled to have Teo on in Jess's absence. He does a lot for my brother and he's a great lad and I'm bloody thrilled."
Winning Jockey: Teo Nugent
Great to got association: "It's unbelievable. My first ever city winner was for Michael probably four years ago and we've been great mates ever since. Thank you to Darren Thomas and Mark Pilkington and Seymour Bloodstock team. They've supported me a lot through my career and it's great to get another winner in their colours."
Being a fast horse: "He began very quickly today. He's a horse that is very adaptable. He's a horse you can ride with a sit. Today he flew the machine and 53 (kg) on his back I thought the shortest way home is the paint and and at the 200 (metres) he let rip again. He won with a foot in the air and did it very easily. He really surprised me with how easily he did it."
Starting to get some nice winners post injury: "It's great to be back. I had seven months out on the sidelines and the racing channel was always on. It's a funny game. You work day in, day out, and you can be riding 14 days straight some weeks and you're busting for a day off, but when you are on the sidelines and all you want to do is get back there. It's day like, with an Apache Cat, it's great to be back in action and it's great to reward the team."