3 minute read
Mandy Cottell and Mathew Toogood look back at the support races.
Tribeca Star snares Dunn another Highway
Ahead of their tilt at winning the $3 million Big Dance with Cepheus on Tuesday, Murwillumbah trainer Matthew Dunn and star jockey Nash Rawiller have combined for another Highway Handicap win in Sydney, this time with Tribeca Star.
Dunn believes Tribeca Star could be a Country Championships prospect later in the season after the lightly raced four-year-old finished over the top of his rivals in Saturday's 1200m Highway to beat Extra Smart by half a length.
Tribeca Star, who placed in his first two starts this preparation in Queensland, started a $3.10 favourite and gave Dunn his 33rd Highway win.
"We certainly like coming here and doing it and this horse has got a really good future ahead of him," Dunn said.
"I think there's better things ahead than Highway races for him. We've known that for quite a while.
"We've been nice and patient with him because he's had a few little developmental things that have come against him early in his career that we've had to hold him back for, but I think today is a good example of what he can achieve if races are run to suit."
Dunn said they would get Tribeca Star home and then map out a plan for the gelding who has won two of his seven starts.
Rawiller, who won two Highways on Derry Grove for Dunn earlier this season, said Tribeca Star was doing it on raw ability at the moment.
Darby Win with another former Kiwi
Tulloch Lodge's early success with former Kiwi gelding Goldman prompted syndicators Darby Racing to gift them with another lightly raced galloper plucked out of New Zealand in I'Mintowin.
The five-year-old made his Australian debut for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott at Rosehill on Saturday and just like Goldman's, it was a winning one.
Rated beautifully in front by Regan Bayliss, I'mintowin ($7.50) gave a strong kick at the top of the straight and never looked in serious danger, scoring by 1-1/4 lengths over Diamond Model ($20) with Fall For Cindy ($3 fav) third.
Bott saw plenty of positives in the performance and expected the winner to continue through the grades.
"(Darby Racing director) Scott Darby found this horse, liked what he saw and put a group together on the back of Goldman with us," Bott said.
"He got into a nice, free-flowing rhythm in the middle stages, he looked comfortable the whole way and had a good break on them.
"He was very strong late.
"I'm not sure where we will go with him, but we will just take him through his grades. We have a bit of room to move there in the ratings."
Goldman won his first three Australian starts, culminating in the Listed Roy Higgins (2600m) at Flemington in March and was one of the early fancies for the Melbourne Cup but failed to come up this spring.
Salisano gives Darby a double
Darby Racing celebrated an early Rosehill double when former problem child Salisano bobbed through on the inside to down Ballroom Bella by a half-length in the Chandon Handicap (1200m).
The mare was transferred to Nathan Doyle after her first three starts and the Newcastle trainer said she had been a work in progress ever since.
While getting her to the races has proven easier said than done, the hard work and patience of connections is paying off with Salisano now unbeaten in three starts for her new yard.
"She actually had four trials before she went to the races for us the first time, (then) we took her for her first start and she lunged at the front of the gates and was a late scratching," Doyle said.
"She went back to the trials on two occasions, she was slow away and had to go back again.
"They (her owners) stuck by us for the ride, let us be patient and do the right thing by the horse.
"We knew she could gallop, we just wanted to get her right and they're reaping the rewards now."
Jockey Koby Jennings has been an important part of Salisano's journey and has been in the saddle for her past three wins.
Doyle said keeping that partnership together was crucial.
"Koby has got the key to her as well, he is the only jock that has been able to get her out of the gates so he'll be going wherever she is going," Doyle said.
Quinn soaks up city success with Peshmerga
With his parents visiting from Ireland, Robert Quinn has celebrated a rare Saturday city win on one of Sydney's biggest spring race days with imported mare Peshmerga.
Ridden by Jay Ford, Peshmerga gave Quinn just his second Saturday metropolitan winner and first at Rosehill having begun his training career about three years ago at Warwick Farm.
"Mum and Dad are here for a couple of weeks and it's outstanding to have them on course," Quinn said.
"We're not that big a stable. We're trying to make our mark in Sydney and it means a lot to have Mum and Dad here.
"I used to ride as a jump jockey and just came over travelling to Australia and the rest is history. I just worked my way up.
"Everyone does it to train winners so we'll soak up a day like this."
A Listed winner in Germany last year, Peshmerga made her Australian debut for Quinn earlier this year and came into Saturday's TAB Handicap (1900m) off a last-start fourth in the Pinker Pinker Plate at Cranbourne in Victoria.
Peshmerga, who started a $4.80 favourite after Mountain Guest was scratched at the barriers, took over from Extreme Freedom rounding the home turn and the five-year-old mare held off her challengers to beat Caboche by 1-1/4-lengths.
Quinn said the $300,000 The Beauford (2300m) at Newcastle in two weeks could be on the radar for the "tough as nails" mare after her first Australian victory.
Quote of the Day: "I actually had a phone call with my Mum last night and Mum said, 'what can I expect?". I said, 'I'm pretty sure he's the best horse I've sat upon but he's going to need a lot of luck'. He got the luck and he showed his ability." – Josh Parr talking about Golden Eagle winner Obamburumai.
