3 minute read
Trainer and jockey quotes after Titan Of Choice claims the Xtreme Freight Country Mile Series Final at Caulfield on Saturday.
Race Result:
1st: Titan Of Choice (P Gelagotis/D Stackhouse) - $16
2nd: Sir Atlas (L Smith/B Mertens) - $2.90F
3rd: Hasseltoff (T Dabernig/B Shinn) - $9
Winning Time: 1:37.68 Last 600m: NA
Margins: ¾ Leng x Nose
Winning Trainer: Peter Gelagotis (stable rep Ricardo Munier interviewed)
Why are Peter and Manny Gelagotis?: "Manny's at home and Peter's on holidays. Peter never takes a holiday but he's decided to take four days off and I seem to be the boss for the next four days and must have the golden touch. It's great for the team."
Where is Peter?: "I think he's up at Echuca and he's probably celebrating at some pub somewhere right now."
On confidence levels: "I think the team were really confident, the horse looked sensational today, he paraded really well and basically we were pretty confident once we saw the form of the previous horses, we thought he had a very good chance."
On the likely celebrations: "Hopefully Pete sends his credit card details down the line and we'll certainly have a crack tonight."
Winning Jockey: Daniel Stackhouse
On winning for the excited group of owners: "I know Peter Angus really through working for Peter Moody when I was an apprentice, I've known him a long time, and there are some excited owners and it's nice to reward them with a winner."
On the run: "It wasn't easy, this horse is so hard to ride. If you watch him in the early stages, he jumped OK and I just wanted to sit on him and leave him alone but he got on one rein and nearly crashed a few times, so I just had to let him go and be happy.
"He got comfortable and we actually ended up in a beautiful spot and he did the rest. He travelled well, but he's an awkward horse, he wanted to hang in, but it was a great training performance and it's nice to win this country race."
"The way the track's played, it felt like it has a lot of softness down on the inside and you're probably losing a few lengths, so where I drew and where I wanted to be, it probably worked in my favour."