3 minute read
Trainer and jockey quotes after Queman claims the Group 1 Sportsbet Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield on Saturday.
Race Result:
1st: Queman (H Coffey/S & C Oxlade) - $17
2nd: Hypothetical (M Dee/A & S Freedman) - $11
3rd: Mornington Glory (D Yendall/G Bedggood) - $41
Winning Time: 1:02.63 Last 600m: N/A
Margins: Short-half-head x1-1/2L
It's Queman's Oakleigh Plate!
— Racing.com (@Racing) February 24, 2024
Shane & Cassie Oxlade win their first G1! @HTCoffey pic.twitter.com/ZfewgAm4gA
Winning Trainer: Shane & Cassie Oxlade (Shane speaking)
Narrative: "He's a bit of a rude bugger to be honest, he used to knock Boof (owner) around, he was due to go to hospital to have an eye operation and he said will you take him, and I said no worries I'll look after him… it's been a great ride and a great story. Someone like Boof breeds a Mint Lane, to win a group one Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield, it's unbelievable really."
Family of battlers: Whether it's Cassie or my other daughter Tamara, my wife, the whole family, we're just battlers, we love racing, it's been in our family all my life, it's all I've done… I've had some nice horses but to get one come here on Oakleigh Plate day and pull it off, it's pretty special."
Group one runners: Two before today, I had one in a Derby back home and I had a mare I really liked at the time, she won the Matrice, It's Been A Battle, I started her in the Sangster a bit later but to get two in on the one day, the other horse didn't step unfortunately, made really good ground and wasn't far away but Harry rode this bloke beautifully, box seat, I said to him just take a sit if you can, get behind them, he's in really good form and he got the job done."
Confident of photo: "I was because he is a tough bugger, I didn't thin that horse would kick back on him and once he was in front, he's a tough horse, he fights it out, a bit like his owner really, he used to like a scrap in the day."
What it means: "You get out of bed every day to train a good horse and to win a group race or a group one is just the pinnacle of anything in our sport isn't it? I don't know if it'll change much in terms of more horses or less horses, to be honest it doesn't worry me, I'm happy doing what I'm doing, we have twelve, fourteen, sometimes sixteen in work. It's a really small team at home… it's just good for everyone, it's a big kick."
Winning Jockey: Harry Coffey
Relationship with Oxlade's: "Racing family that probably haven't had the fastest of horses, albeit before today, massive effort from the Oxlade's to have two genuine chances in this race and fortunately enough I was to be on one of them, obviously I won on him last start and I was quite taken with the win and I said to Shane when giving the colours back 'why did you choose me' and he goes 'because I knew you'd try for me' so I thought I'd better butter up and try again today."
"I actually rode for Shane as a kid, funnily enough he bought an old broken down horse truck off my Dad when I was in my teens so whether it's broken down every day since, I'm sure we've made up for it today."
Keeping the ride: "He just did it with a lot of ease, I thought the Adams race they were good, fast horses, and just from the six hundred onwards I knew I was going to win that race and I was quite taken with that, I just thought to myself he'll get the minimum, me and my manager spoke about it and really pushing hard to keep the ride. Shane and Cassie, they were loyal to me and I'm greatly appreciative of that. It's a huge thrill, I'm usually pretty good with my words so I'm trying not to get lost with what I'm saying, but it's massive and I said in my interview before, I've won a group one, I've had that feeling before but I wanted to do it again so it wasn't a fluke so hopefully they flow on a bit now."
Beaten Jockeys:
Blake Shinn (Kallos): "He ran a great race. He was unsuited by the weight conditions and how the race was run, but he ran really, really well.
Mitchell Aitken (Asfoora): "She did a pretty good job. She just completely missed the start. She was a bit anxious in the gates which didn't help. There was a few horses around us that were doing the same thing. She missed the start, but ran good from where she was."
Craig Williams (Skew Wiff): "I thought she competed well. I didn't think it was her race from where she drew and how the race panned out. I think she wants a bit more room around her. I thought she stuck to her task well under the circumstances."
Craig Newitt (Sghirripa): "Very frustrating. I got a couple of checks just after the start which basically put him out of business. The horse has done an amazing job to finish as close as he did."
Carleen Hefel (Chain Of Lightning): "I thought it was a really good first-up run. I couldn't go with them early. The speed was a bit uncomfortable but she toes me into the straight and ran on well in restricted room. Good first-up."
Celine Gaudray (Najem Suhail): "There was good speed early but he was quite flat today."
Declan Bates (Recommendation): "He ran a good, honest race. He let down beautifully in the straight, but didn't quite sustain it to the line. The winners were way and gone. He's run a good race."
Daniel Stackhouse (Benedetta): "Great run. She just didn't have a lot of luck up the straight but I was very happy with her return."
Daniel Moor (Brudenell): "I thought it was an excellent effort given his handicap mark down here. He had been going very well and probably showed today that he was up to something like this in a competitive nature."
Michael Dee (Hypothetical): "What do they say, heads up, heads down. She's very tough. I felt the winner had us quite comfortably at the top of the straight, but to my mare's credit she kept finding and kept trying 100 per cent. Unfortunately you have to settle for second. Super effort."
Blaike McDougall (Lempicka): unavailable.
Dean Yendall (Mornington Glory): "Great run from a midfield gate. We jumped well and I just sat on him and let him tell me where he wanted to be. Let him be comfortable. Got out on the bend but there was a bit of a scrimmage going on as one tried to push out. I just let him be comfortable around the tun. We straightened up, I thought I was nearly going to be the winner at one stage but I felt the winner and the second horse had a bit more of an easier run down towards the rail in the early piece. It was a great effort."
Jye McNeil (Rey Magnerio): "He was quite fresh today. I didn't have the right run to win or be competitive. He had been going really well and he could be a chance in the Newmarket if he pulls up well enough."
Jamie Kah (King's Gambit): "He's going about it the right way. He got smothered up on the rail and wasn't comfortable in the run."
