Chris Waller watched the Queen Elizabeth Stakes as a fan, but he was back to his winning ways as Atishu joined his long list of group 1 winner with explosive victory in the Queen OF The Turf at Randwick on Saturday.
Nash Rawiller gave Atishu ($10) the perfect ride and when he asked her to sprint she put 2½ lengths on Hope In Your Heart ($5) and outsider More Secrets ($101).
Nash Rawiller has time for a salute about Atishu in the Queen of the Turf. Credit: Getty
“It’s not all about the boom horses, it’s the late developers as well, and that’s the beauty of spring and autumn – you can see things change a lot,” Waller said. “She didn’t have a lot go her way in the spring. She’s got her group 1 today.
“The other day she had a wide draw,” Waller said of hersecond in the Emancipation Stakes. “Today she had a perfect draw and Nash rode her accordingly.
“Just got her out in a nice spot and switched her off and had a saloon passage through, and it was pretty to watch.”
‘I don’t come with slugs’
Kiwi trainer Jim Wallace doesn’t come to Sydney too often, but it was well worth it with Pennyweka as she added the group 1 Australian Oaks to her New Zealand Oaks at Randwick on Saturday.
It had been more 20 years since Wallace came to Australia with Cent Home to win the 2001 St George Stakes.
“I don’t come with slugs. You come here, you want to bring a good horse,” Wallace said.
Pennyweka ($4.80 eq fav) is certainly that and continued the Kiwi dominance of three-year-old racing during the autumn. After being flushed three-wide early, she saw off So Dazzling ($20) to win by 1¾ lengths with Premise ($17) holding on for third another three lengths away.
Wallace had had Pennyweka in the Australian Oaks but didn’t make the second pay-up and had to pay a late entry to gain a run after her New Zealand Oaks win.
“She told me. I was convinced that after the Oaks she’d be ready for it. She came out on the Monday, trotted up and the girl who rides her all the time said to me, ‘she feels better today than she did on Friday’,” Wallace said.
“She carried on that week and did nothing wrong, so we thought, ‘oh well, we’ll roll the dice’ and here we are. First time away from home and she travelled like an old toff.”
Royal Ascot and Everest options for Aft Cabin
Godolphin trainer James Cummings mentioned Royal Ascot and jockey James McDonald was thinking The Everest, so what is clear is that the future is bright for the Arrowfield Stud Stakes winner Aft Cabin.
It didn’t all good to plan for the Astern colt over the 1200m. He missed the kick and found trouble in the run, but once he got clear, Aft Cabin put the group 2 away.
“An interesting option might be the Platinum Jubilee because he would look pretty good, this horse, Cummings said. “We’ve got a lot to talk about and we’ll let it play out. We’ve got other stablemates targeting Brisbane, so there’s something to be said for not taking him.
“But he does like his runs spaced, but the winners of this race in its new format are serious horses.”
Aft Cabin ($2.50 fav) was excellent as he ran down Wee Nessy ($8) and Lady Laguna ($11).
“I duffed the start and was back in no man’s land,” McDonald said. “At the 600m, Zou Tiger just come flying back and I ended up in all sorts, flushed off the track.
“He had to regather himself and had to make a long sustained run to the line, which lucky he’s a strong six -furlong horse, runs a good seven, and that was on display today.
“He’s an unfinished product, that’s for sure. He’s got so much to give.
“I know they’ve got a very good sprinter in In Secret, but give this horse six months, he’s going to be a beauty.”
Jelfs blown away by Percy Sykes victory
Lizzie Jelfs stood stunned as Kristilli ($19) raced away with the Percy Sykes Stakes and again highlighted the racing analyst and syndicator has one of the best eyes for a horse in country.
The Hellbent filly Jelfs identified one morning at Warwick Farm trackwork had won by 1¾ length win from Tiz Invincible ($6) and Kimochi ($4).
“You come to these races hoping that will happen,” Jelfs said. “I don’t know what to do now. As I said, when I saw her I fell in love. That means so much for me and Annabel [Neasham].”
Joao Moreira had Kristilli travelling coming to the turn and just needed a bit of luck, and it came at the right time.
“She got involved in a little bit of a traffic jam at the top of the straight,” Moreira said. “I was kind of forced to go onto the inside to get the split and then hoping I could get out when we approached the last furlong. Everything started opening up when I approached the 250m and I could feel like she was going to win from a long way home.”
McDonald sparkles on Spangler
James McDonald produced the ride of the carnival on Spangler to win the Provincial-Midway Championships on Saturday.
Jumping from the outside barrier of 17, McDonald had Spangler ($12) on the fence within in 100 metres and then took inside runs before flicking around the leaders at the 300m mark and charging to win by by 4¾ lengths from Loch Eagle ($6) and Cross The Rubicon ($101), which blew the start by six lengths and followed the winner wherever he went.
“I just rode the race and the runs just coming,” McDonald said. “I was behind the leader and when he got out he just had so much to give and was really good.”
It was Kris Lees’ fifth win in the Provincial Championships and it was the second time he has had the quinella in the race.
“We’ve got a big stable, and we need to have horses in these races. It’s a great concept, it’s been well received,” Lees said.
Tom Kitten could back up in the Champagne
James Cummings backed himself to get Tom Kitten fit enough for in Saturday’s Fernhill Handicap and won and is set to back him up in the Champagne Stakes next week.
Nash Rawiller went back to last and came with a final run to beat Make A Call to win the listed 1600m race.
Tom Kitten had not been seen since suffering interference in the VRC Sires Produce Stakes when a closing fifth behind Veight.
“We were able to get him fit at home and his gallop with an import was very good,” Cummings said. “We will see how he comes through, but he will be better for that next week.”
Tom Kitten was backed from $51 into $8 for the Champagne Stakes after winning.
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