Saturday, 24 May 2008: Sprint king Apache Cat will go for a well earned rest and be set for his first overseas mission at the end of the year after recording his fifth successive Group One win in today's Doomben Ten Thousand in Brisbane.
 | Apache Cat
Photo by Bronwen Healy | |
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The baldy faced chestnut with a huge cult following among racing fans made a one horse affair of the Ten Thousand where he held a big advantage over his rivals under the wfa conditions.
Box seated by jockey Corey Brown in third place,
Apache Cat peeled off the back of the leader Murtajill at the 400m and exploded away to score the easiest of all his Group One wins.
Murtajill fought on gamely to hold second with Sydney colt Turffontein picking up a valuable Group One placing when he grabbed third.
Trainer Greg Eurell said he will resist the temptation to start
Apache Cat in the $1 million Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm on June 7 due to his long range plans for the rising six-year-old.
“He's earned a very good rest,” said Eurell, who has taken
Apache Cat through the Melbourne and Sydney autumn carnivals since he resumed in February.
“The Stradbroke is a great race but if we let him have a break now I'm sure he will come back just as good next season.”
Eurell said he is planning to give
Apache Cat two spring starts in Melbourne and then send him to Hong Kong for the International Sprint over 1200m in December with a campaign in Europe a long range goal next year.
Apache Cat 
is now certain to claim this season champion sprinter title after his unprecedented Group One sequence that began with the Lightning Stakes at Flemington in February.
He then won the Australia Stakes at Moonee Valley, T.J. Smith Stakes at Randwick beating Reigning To Win and Takeover Target and the BTC Cup at Doomben before today's victory sent his earnings soaring past $3.3 million.
“It was awesome effort, unbelievable,” Eurell said of
Apache Cat's brilliant performance, praise echoed by jockey Corey Brown who rated the big gelding the best horse he has ridden during his career.
Eurell had been under pressure all week due to worrying blood tests from
Apache Cat but said he had no doubt the horse was ready to compete at his best after the last tests on Thursday.
Brown has now won seven Group One races this season and will be the leading G1 rider in Australia this season.
Runner-up Murtajill and minor placegetter Turffontein will go on the Stradbroke over 1400m on June 9 where they will be better suited by the handicap conditions.
| FP | Horse
Age & Sex | Trainer
Jockey | WT
SP | |
| 1. APACHE CAT
10yo Gelding | GREG EURELL
COREY BROWN | 59.0
$2.63 | |
| LION CAVERN (USA) - TENNESSEE BLAZE (AUS) |
| P F RADFORD, MS R N LAWRIE, G E RIDDELL, MRS S T RIDDELL, MRS M B LOFTHOUSE, K J LOFTHOUSE. |
| 7. MURTAJILL
8yo H | T R MARTIN
GLYN SCHOFIELD | 57.0
$4.25 | |
| ROCK OF GIBRALTAR (IRE) - SKATING (AUS) |
| SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN KHALIFA AL MAKTOUM & TIM MARTIN BLOODSTOCK PTY LTD SYND(MGR: T MARTIN). |
| Jun 05, National Weanling Sale 2005, Scone NSW, $660000, T Stakemire, VIC |
| 8. TURFFONTEIN
8yo H | ANTHONY CUMMINGS
BRAD RAWILLER | 57.0
$41.00 | |
| JOHANNESBURG (USA) - SPIRIT OF GRACE (AUS) |
| A CUMMINGS TH'BDS (A&B CUMMINGS), A GRANT-TAYLOR, M PAINE, J SUGARMAN, R GAROZZO, M KLEIMEYER, S SAVAGE, PC RACING S(P CARROLL), C J MOREY & T HURFORD. |
| | Mar 06, 2006 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, Moorooduc, $70000, Anthony Cummings Thoroughbreds, NSW |
| 4th | 10. JUSTE MOMENTE
9yo M | DANNY O'BRIEN
SHANE SCRIVEN | 56.5
$26.00 |
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| 5th | 5. DOUBLE DARE
11yo G | CHRIS WALLER
DANNY NIKOLIC | 59.0
$17.00 |
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| 6th | 4. THE JACKAL
10yo G | PAUL ST VINCENT
ROBERT THOMPSON | 59.0
$21.00 |
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| 7th | 11. VORMISTA
9yo M | MARK MINERVINI
DAMIEN OLIVER | 56.5
$7.00 |
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| 8th | 3. REIGNING TO WIN
9yo G | JOHN O'SHEA
HUGH BOWMAN | 59.0
$7.00 |
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| 9th | 6. HELIDECK
9yo G | BRETT CAVANOUGH
RICK MCMAHON | 59.0
$8.50 |
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| 10th | 2. HARD TO CATCH
11yo G | PAT DUFF
BRAD STEWART | 59.0
$61.00 |
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| 11th | 12. TAN TAT DE LAGO
8yo M | PETER MOODY
JIM BYRNE | 54.5
$41.00 |
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| 12th | 9. LA MONTAGNA
10yo M | BARRY BALDWIN
GLEN COLLESS | 56.5
$21.00 |
 | | Posted by azza, on 6-7-2008 10:05:49 PM
Anyone forget Lad of the Manor? But I''m with you folks I am a die hard supporter of Apache Cat however on any given day he can lose by a nose. I''ve been there and won but lost on some hard earned, Though I''m very much up! ”
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| | Posted by bkmac, on 27-5-2008 9:57:15 AM
How often do you see horses come back from injury or long layoff and go OK first up and then do nothing ever again. La Montagna wasn't the only horse who fit that category on the week end. Reigning to win and Vormista were both good lays for that reason. Proudly Agro is another one in lower grades who fits the bill. ”
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| | Posted by chrisn84, on 26-5-2008 11:52:51 AM
La Montagna has surely had enough following her last placing ”
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| | Posted by simon69, on 25-5-2008 6:58:29 PM
Definitely a champion sprinter.
He has now won 9 straight races at distances 1400m and shorter and his overall record in that distance range is 17 starts for 12 wins and 3 placings. ”
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| | Posted by maccamax, on 24-5-2008 10:49:50 PM
Wonderful effort ...First 5 straight Gr1 winners since the mighty Tulloch 51 years ago ...Oh what a horse he was ....Amazing how something reminds you of champions and I saw this Rider some days ago and thought , WOW theres George Moore.Same poetry in motion floating above a Horse ..His name ..G Schofield ....We will sure hear a lot of this fellow in the future ... ”
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| | Posted by applehorn, on 24-5-2008 9:30:06 PM
since when was turffontein a mare? as stated in the story.. hopeless.
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| | Posted by pigspork, on 24-5-2008 8:02:36 PM
i hope now you guys stop knocking "the cat" still think hes a 7 furlong horse but ascot next year should be on the agenda.Special thanks to the trainer and the blood scare.i got 2.5 about a 1.7 chance.it wont happen but would be great to see him match it with el cambio at eagle farm. ”
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| | Posted by maccamax, on 24-5-2008 6:06:58 PM
The huge surprise was the price .......Showed how badly affected he was with the slow sectionals last start with the edge off him at 1200m....Class act. ”
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| | Posted by slim, on 24-5-2008 5:13:46 PM
The question must now be asked, is there a better sprinter in the world than this guy.
I'll tell you what, after the way he toyed with this bunch today, that is a reasonable question to pose on the racing experts. He looked just like Silent Witness expolding away from the field today. ”
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