Experienced group 1 jockey Ben Melham almost caused the sensation of the spring by losing an unlosable race on a day that trainer Andrea Leek emerged from a tough six weeks involving her husbandโs three-year ban to experience her greatest high.
Melham sent an audible gasp across the rain-soaked Flemington lawn on Saturday when he eased up 25 metres from the finishing post on favourite Skybird with the group 2 Gilgai Stakes seemingly in his grasp.
But as Skybird throttled down, the six-year-old mare was almost nabbed on the line and beaten by the fast-finishing Smooth Chino, causing winning trainer Mitchell Freedman an unwelcome fright.
โI said to guys just before, โDo you want the honest opinion or the filtered version?โ,โ Freedman said after the close call.
โSheโs got a big handbrake on her. When you stop, she stops. I think we were pretty lucky that the visiting rider [on Smooth Chino] mistimed the winning post a little bit there, otherwise he might have got over the top of us.
โAnyway, weโll take the win. Weโre relieved, and weโre happy to get the win. I think she deserved it.โ
Melham pleaded guilty to a stewards charge of failing to ride his mount out to the end of the race and was fined $2000.
In an interesting twist, the rider of the runner-up, Western Australian jockey Austin Galati, was also fined $1000 by stewards for failing to ride his mount out to the end of the race.
There were no such heart-in-mouth moments for Leek as she took out the feature race of the day, the group 1 Turnbull Stakes, with Perth gelding Cosmic Crusader.
The comfortable victory on a heavy track provided a welcome respite six weeks after her husband, John Leek jnr, was disqualified from the sport for three years for attempting to stomach tube a horse.
The victory also vindicated a decision by big-time Perth owner Bob Peters to send Cosmic Crusader across the Nullarbor to be prepared by Leek at her Nar Nar Goon North base for a shot at the spring riches.
โI think Iโve been lucky to have this focus,โ Leek said on Saturday after her first group 1 win.
โItโs been tough on the family and I have just focused on my horses and that is what has got me through.โ
While Leek waits for Racing Victoria to hear an application for her husband to be allowed to move back to their family home โ currently disallowed under the rules of racing because she is a trainer โ Cosmic Crusader is sure to provide some welcome distractions.
After comfortably beating rivals Light Infantry Man (second), Aeliana (third) and pre-race favourite Sir Delius (fourth), the six-year-old gelding has emerged as a key chance in the Cox Plate, to be raced at Flemington in three weeksโ time.
โHeโs a tricky horse, but I sent a message to Bob this morning, โThereโs no excuses today, heโs spot onโ, and thank God I was right,โ Leek said.
โI galloped him one morning at Pakenham, and it was about a heavy 15. The tracks were closed, and they were good enough to let us work him because he was going into one of his previous races.
โHe went across the top of it like it was a good track. I was pretty confident he would handle the wet.โ
The win was also vindication for Perth jockey Willie Pike, who copped criticism from several form experts last month for his ride on the horse โ finishing third in the group 1 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield.
At the time, Pike did not like what he heard, firing back at his detractors and telling them to mind their own business. He was more considerate after winning the Turnbull Stakes.
โFirst of all, thank you to Mr Peters and his family,โ Pike said. โThey were backing me from the get-go even when I put in a bit of an iffy one a couple of starts ago.
โIt is really nice to get the job done. He was putting in those good runs without getting the job done, so I really like to get it done for him.โ
While last yearโs Cups hero Half Yours finished solidly in fifth, jockey Jamie Melham was suspended for 10 race meetings for careless riding and will miss next weekโs Caulfield Guineas meeting. She will return in time to defend her Caulfield Cup crown on Half Yours.
It was another bountiful day for the Ciaron Maher mega stable, which took out feature staying races in Sydney and Melbourne โ Mr Monaco won the 2500m The Bart Cummings at Flemington, while Juja Kibo won the 2400m Metropolitan at Randwick.
The victory means Mr Monaco wins a golden ticket into the Melbourne Cup, and Maher was full of praise for young Tasmanian jockey Jabez Johnstone.
โItโs exciting to get another one into the Cup, but Jabez, heโs a little ripper,โ Maher said.
โI get on with him quite well. Heโs usually a man of few words and I donโt mind that either. It was a good positive ride, and heโs strong.โ
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