Rare maiden win at ‘headquarters’
With maiden races few and far between at Flemington, trainer Enver Jusufovic took the opportunity to start the career of four-year-old Theorum down the straight in the Tick Homes Dash.
Flemington is regarded as the home of excellence, but Friday’s meeting opened with a maiden race over 1000.
Theorum was well-educated for his debut with a number of trials and jump-outs on his home track at Cranbourne, and that experience proved beneficial.
Jusufovic explained Theorum could have raced as a three-year-old, but a misplaced identity card delayed his debut in which the son of Nostradamus, himself a Flemington straight track winner on debut for Hawkes Racing, scored by a short-neck from another Cranbourne-trained galloper Treotto.
“I think with the time he’s had, he’s extremely professional and it brings you into good stead down the straight here,” Jusufovic said.
“He’s progressed to one of the few maiden winners at Flemington.”
Newitt waves bye-bye to opposition
Jockey Craig Newitt put the pedal to the floor and waved goodbye to the opposition early in Greenville Sprint with Smile And Wave registering an easy win.
The Class 1 affair was run in considerably quicker time – 0.56 seconds – than the maiden affair over 1000m that Theorum won over in the opening race.
Trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman were thinking of ‘black type’ for the daughter of I Am Invincible following Friday’s win which made it two-from-two for the campaign after an easy maiden win at Mornington on New Year’s Day.
Sam Freedman described Smile And Wave as professional.
“She jumps well, relaxes well in front and I think halfway through the race she was travelling like the winner,” Freedman said.
Unfortunately, those black type plans are on the backburner for the immediate future after Racing Victoria stewards reported Smile And Wave bled from both nostrils after the win and the filly has incurred an automatic three-month ban from racing.
Anilla unbeaten in Australia
Anilla has kept his unbeaten record in Australia intact with a brave win in the Leap Real Estate Sprint (1200m).
After trialling in Adelaide when under the care of Will Clarken, Anilla made his way to Hong Kong to be prepared by David Hayes.
However, after his second start in the Asian mecca, Anilla suffered heart fibrillation and the decision was made to send the sprinter back to Australia and the Lindsay Park training complex at Euroa.
The country environment has worked wonders with Anilla scoring victories at Stawell and Wangaratta prior to his city debut at Flemington on Friday.
Lindsay Park co-trainer Ben Hayes said Anilla appeared to ‘float’ when hitting the front before knuckling down when tackled by runner-up Allegretta.
“We’re happy for the owners back in Hong Kong and they’re enjoying the ride with him,” Hayes said.
“I think he’s a horse we might try with winkers or some headgear to help him focus that little bit more, but he’s done that today off natural ability.
“He’s an exciting horse.”
Kah brings out best in Ruby
Pacific Ruby has maintained her unbeaten record for the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable with a fighting win in the Ms Peacock Kitchen Sprint (1200m).
The daughter of Kermadec was resuming on Friday after wins at Moe and Sandown and jockey Jamie Kah felt the mare was beaten when Celine Gaudrey on the runner-up Prairie Flower went by.
But showing signs of a horse with more ability than what has been realised to date, Pacific Ruby picked herself up off the canvas to record a narrow win.
“She was travelling super and then she wanted to lay-out as soon as I went for her,” Kah said.
“She was beaten when Celine got to her, but she dug deep and realised she’s a racehorse in the last 100 metres.
“She’ll take a lot of improvement out of today and she’ll go on to bigger and better things.”
Quick back-up no worry for Gold Revolver
While the numbers may not be large at the Flemington base of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott compared to their Sydney stable, the winners keep on being churned out.
Rebecca Shanks, who runs the Flemington stable for Waterhouse and Bott, said the win of Gold Revolver in the Deane Lester GoFundMe (1100m) was the seventh victory from their past 13 starters out of the Flemington yard.
Gold Revolver has been responsible for two of those victories, backing up on Friday just five days after posting his maiden win at Moe on Sunday.
Shanks said Gold Revolver had trained on well during the week Waterhouse and Bott had no hesitation in sending gelding out again where he picked up $30,250 in prize money, doubling his previous stake money earnings from four starts.
Straight suits Red Hot Nicc
Red Hot Nicc may not have been a winner down the straight at Flemington prior to the Resimax Group Trophy (1100m), but it had been a track he had run well at previously.
Friday’s win in the Resimax Group Trophy was third time Red Hot Nicc had raced over the 1100m course at headquarters.
Red Hot Nicc chased home Zac De Boss and then Diamonds in his two previous runs on the straight course in benchmark 70 company, the same class he was opposed to on Friday.
Wylie Dalziel who manages the ownership of the gelding, said Red Hot Nicc was well handled by jockey Zac Spain.
“He let him jump and run and you have to keep him happy,” Dalziel said.
“That’s the key to him. Don’t snag him back, take cover, just let him run and he was too good.
“Well done to Phillip Stokes and the team, they do a fantastic job.”
Senegalia rings up double
The colours carried to victory by Senegalia provided trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace and jockey Jamie Kah with a winning double when claiming the Eynesbury Golf Plate (1100m).
The trio, along with owners Colin and Janice McKenna, scored earlier in the day with Pacific Ruby in the Ms Peacock Kitchen Sprint.
While Pacific Ruby had to pull out all stops after looking beaten in the run, the win of Senegalia was in contrast with the mare leading throughout.
And in landing the prize, Senegalia recorded the quickest 1100m time of the three races held on Friday.
“I don’t think I deserve to get paid for that,” Kah said.
“I sat there, and she did the rest. She was fantastic and very professional down the straight and didn’t get lost.
“She’s definitely got a lot more in store.”
Jockey Cam
Ride down Flemington's famous straight with jockey Michael Dee, on-board Ballet Dancer in Race 4 of Resimax Group Rapid Racing Race Day.
