There were more factors against Think About It than with him in Saturday’s Takeover Target Stakes, but he found a way to win again and confirm his place at the top of Stradbroke Handicap betting.
The big-striding So You Think four-year-old had to overcome a wide draw and the tight Gosford track and then there was the slower-than-expected tempo, a three-wide trip and a good kick from Bacchanalia to further complicate matters.
Sam Clipperton rides Think About It to victory in the Takeover Target Stakes at Gosford.Credit: Getty
Think About It took it all in his stride and won in what jockey Sam Clipperton described as “soft fashion”.
“I will be going wherever he is going, [trainer] Joe [Pride] just needs to tell me which day I have to be in Brisbane,” Clipperton said. “He was never going to get beaten, even when [Bacchanalia] gave that kick he just mowed him down and in the end, there was a bit left there. He will improve from that as well.”
Think About It, which drifted from $3 to $3.90 and didn’t start favourite, had a long neck on the line to spare from Bacchanalia, but tellingly there was 1¼ lengths back to Fox Fighter in third.
“He is a horse that never wins by big margins but you’re kind of never left with any doubt that he’s going to win,” Pride said. “He’s on the way up, you know, I thought he was going to be vulnerable because it’s a tricky track for him. He just finds a way to win.”
Think About It made seven wins from eight starts in the Takeover Target and it was the fifth time Pride had won the race, with See The World, Title, Ball Of Muscle and Kuro already on the honour roll.
“It’s been a good race for us and this is probably the best horse of mine that has won it,” Pride said. “We haven’t got to the bottom of them yet. He’s a four-year-old and he’s very immature, but we will go to Brisbane now with some confidence.
“We are tossing up between BRC Sprint at Doomben or going to the group 1 and giving him a look at Eagle Farm in the Kingsford Smith Cup before the Stradbroke.”
Clemenceau, which was backed into a $2.90 favourite, was a victim of the slow tempo and was checked mid-race before running into fourth.
Sargent finds the best of Palmetto in The Coast
John Sargent compared former Palmetto to European horses after the New Zealander found his feet in Australia to win The Coast at Gosford on Saturday.
The Ghilbelines four-year-old was sent to Sargent after winning the Dunedin Guineas and Southland Guineas last year, but took his time to find his best at his home.
In his first five starts in Australia he never featured and was spelled, but he has blossomed this campaign and backed up a win at the Hawkesbury standalone meeting by running away from rivals to win by 1 3/4 lengths from Welwal and Military Expert, which led home a wall of horses.
“He was a European type horse from down south from the South Island when he arrived, he was woolly and weak and he had no neck,” Sargent said. “He’s just took to a prep to really show what he can do, that was fantastic today. His turn of foot at the end was really impressive.”
It gave Kerrin McEvoy a winning treble after wins for Chris Waller on Hometruths and Vowmaster, and he was left impressed.
“He is a rough diamond but he can gallop a bit,” McEvoy said. “I think we could go to the Doomben Cup against the A-grades next because we have a nice horse that is excelling and ready to take that step.”
Esti Feny break four-year drought with Gosford Cup win
Former Hungarian horse of the year Esti Feny might have set a new mark for the time between wins after breaking a 1673-day drought with his first Australian win in the Gosford Cup on Saturday.
“You have to persevere in this game,” trainer Matt Smith said. “He wasn’t beaten far in the Q22 last year and he has always been a nice horse. There have just been a lot of interrupted preparations, so going into this race when we didn’t have any hiccups, I was happy. Oh my goodness, it made a big difference and what a great ride.”
Jay Ford saved ground as the rest of field spread across the track from the 600m and then Esti Feny burst through and won by 1½ lengths from favourite Navajo Peak with Bois D’argent a short neck back in third.
“I just kept pinching run towards the inside and all of a sudden I was on the leader’s back and hadn’t spent a penny,” Ford said. “He sprinted really well and it’s the sort of win we thought he had in him.”
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