Nash Rawiller will look to the Brisbane winter carnival with some confidence after Hawaii Five Oh and Princess Grace produced contrasting comprehensive group 3 victories at Hawkesbury on Saturday.
Rawiller had time to take several looks over his right and left shoulders in the final furlong of the Hawkesbury Guineas (1400m) as Hawaii Five Oh ($4.40) won by 3¼ lengths eased down from Atmosphere ($9.50) and Razeta ($4.20 fav).
Nash Rawiller cruises to the post on Hawaii Five Oh in the Hawkesbury Guineas.Credit: Getty
Then 40 minutes later, he had to be at his vigorous best to get Princess Grace ($4.40 fav) out of pocket 200m from home before the US mare raced away with the Hawkesbury Crown (1300m).
“They are two horses that going to be nice to stay with going forward,” Rawiller said. “I got put in a half-dicey spot there for a couple of strides.
“She got through that pretty well and went right on with the job.
“I think it shows she has group 1 potential in Australia.”
The China Horse Club paid $2.55 million for Princess Grace, which was a group 2 and group 3 winner in the United States, last November and expect her to be at her best at 1600m.
“That is just the start for her out here,” China Horse Club’s Michael Smith said. “She hadn’t raced under a mile in America, so it was good to see her do that at 1300m and she is going to get better as we get her up in trip.”
Earlier, Rawiller rode Hawaii Five Oh with a degree of arrogance as he cruised into the Guineas on the bridle and showed a sharp a turn of foot.
“That was a lot better than we were expected,” Tulloch Lodge co-trainer Adrian Bott said. “I said earlier in the week I told someone not to think about the Stradbroke, but that race comes into thinking now.
“He is an exciting horse heading to Brisbane.”
Princess Grace runs aawy from the field after getting clear in the Hawkesbury Crown.Credit: Getty
Rawiller will be wherever Hawaii Five Oh goes next after the brother of Libertini produced a devastating performance for his second win in six starts.
“That is what we thought he could do, but he has never done it,” Rawiller said. “I think the 1400m is his sweet spot, and he would get into a Stradbroke with a lightweight if we can get him there.”
New Mandate shows McDonald’s a good judge with cup win
Premier jockey James McDonald booked himself to ride multiple English stakes winner New Mandate in Saturday’s Hawkesbury Cup after a track gallop earlier in the week and his judgment was proven outstanding.
New Mandate ($6.50) looked the winner a long way out and, when McDonald let him go in the straight, he raced clear to win by two lengths from stablemate Desert Icon ($31) with Jojo Was A Man ($6.50) a half-length back in third.
“He ran up to the work and he is only going to get better,” McDonald said. “I’m glad they listened to me and put me on him.
“He is going to win much better races than that because he is very classy.”
Lloyd out for three weeks after Sweet Mercy disqualified
Leading apprentice Zac Lloyd was suspended for three weeks after weighing in more than a kilo light, which caused Sweet Mercy to be disqualified from third placing in a benchmark race at Hawkesbury on Saturday.
Racing NSW chief steward Steve Railton called Lloyd “unprofessional” in a dressing-down over the incident.
“This is a major issue for you. You have let connections and punters down badly,” Railton said. “The punters have done their money cold.”
Lloyd had weighed out in heavy boots and rode in light boots, which accounted for more than a kilogram difference.
“I gave you a directive about those boots when you arrived here,” Railton told Lloyd.
“I remember that,” the contrite apprentice answered.
Lloyd, who had been fined $200 for weighing out without stirrups on Wednesday, said he would contact Sweet Mercy owners.
“I will pay them the $11,000 my mistake has cost them. I’m very sorry,” Lloyd said.
Stewards gave him a four-week suspension, which was reduced to three because of his guilty plea and inexperience. It will start from May 1.
Baker decision to geld Malkovich pays winning dividend
Bjorn Baker took the hard decision to geld two of the fastest horses in his stable last year and the rewards have come quickly with Overpass and Malkovich.
Overpass won the $4 million Quokka last weekend, and Malkovich returned a winner in the Hawkesbury Gold Rush on Saturday.
“It was a tough decision with both of them,” Baker said. “Overpass was a group 2 winner and this bloke [Malkovich] is a beautiful-looking horse with a big page.
“We are getting the rewards as racehorses with both of them, and they will be around for a long time. This might not be as big as the Quokka, but you can see he has bigger things in front of him.”
Malkovich ($4.20) held off held a late thrust from A Very Fine Red ($6), with favourite Andermatt ($3.70 fav) in third.
“He ran second in this race last year, but he has just been a different horse this time, and it showed with how strong he was there late,” Baker said. “There is a real good race in him; I just have to work out where.”
Williams gets first city win double
Hannah Williams produced a perfect front-running ride on the Matt Dale-trained Penthouse to take Saturday’s Highway Handicap before making it a double on Delacour at Hawkesbury on Saturday.
The Goulburn-based apprentice went straight to the front on Penthouse and never looked in danger as she scored by 1¼ lengths from Dollar Magic with Titration a similar margin away in third.
She then came late on Delacour to beat Red Card to make it a double from two rides.
“This is definitely a career highlight,” Williams said. “I outrode my country claim in Wagga and went up to Danielle Seib at Goulburn to try to take the next step.
“It’s good to have got those wins, and I would like to get more opportunities.”
Dale had planned the Highway coup with Penthouse, which is on her way to Brisbane via next month’s Denise Joy Stakes at Scone.
“We picked out this race a while ago and Hannah’s three-kilo claim was very handy,” Dale said. “She ran third to In Secret [in the Woodlands Stakes] at Scone last year and I think she is up to that sort of stakes grade.”
Zardozi stays unbeaten with classy Clarendon win
There wasn’t a better-bred horse at Hawkesbury than Kingman filly Zardozi, and she might the one to follow from the meeting after continuing her unbeaten record by winning the Clarendon Stakes on Saturday.
Chad Schofield let Zardozi, who is out of Dubawi mare Chanderi, balance up near the tail of the field but it took little encouragement for her to round up her rivals in the straight to beat Californian by a half-length for a third straight win.
“She just keeps getting better with every run, and she will get better with more ground as well,” jockey Chad Schofield said. “She just put them away so quickly and then coasted, but the impressive thing was when she felt the other horse come at her she went again.
“She feels like there is a lot more there if you need it and is learning quickly.”
