Jockey Jamie Mott's whirlwind 16 hours before Hollindale Stakes win on Numerian

Numerian has won the $500,000 Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Sunshine Coast, marking a whirlwind 16 hours for winning jockey Jamie Mott.

Numerian wins the Hollindale Stakes. Picture: Grant Peters - Trackside Photography

It was a case of no Zaaki, no worries for Annabel Neasham as the Sydney trainer announced herself as the queen of the Group 2 Hollindale Stakes (1800m) when Numerian produced a first-up demolition job to complete a historic four-peat.

While the Group 1-winning trainer has been able to rely on Zaaki over the past three years, it was a $34 blowout this time around as Numerian ploughed through the Heavy 10 to cap off a masterful training performance.

It marked a whirlwind 16 hours for jockey Jamie Mott, who raced almost 2000km away at Cranbourne, Victoria until 8.45pm on Friday night before riding in the first race at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday at 12.30pm for Neasham.

With a four-pronged attack in the $500,000 feature, it was the roughest result that saluted as Queensland specialist Numerian kicked off his retirement tour in style.

“I love this horse, he’s an eight-year-old and to do that first up on a bottomless track like this,” Neasham said.

It’s all Numerian in the G2 TAB A.D. Hollindale Stakes, as he races away to win first up for @ANeashamRacing and @jamieleemott!@SCTurfClubpic.twitter.com/O1Mn0ugkmo

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 11, 2024

“They were happy to give him one more prep, he is obviously getting a bit older but he ran really well in Perth.

“To have his last prep up here and start it off like that is fantastic. I knew he’d run well and I said that to Jamie (Mott), he ran well on a Heavy 10 in the Chelmsford Stakes first up about 18 months ago.”

While punters had concerns over Numerian’s ability to conquer the testing trip, Neasham revealed he had been trained at beach in preparation for the first-up crunch.

“There’s a big team behind me, he has been trained at the beach in Melbourne, they can take most of the credit for this,” she said.

Numerian beats Just Folk (white blaze) and Kovalica (blue cap).

“He had a week in Sydney and then had a trial there and has come up here where he come alive, we saw that in the Q22 two years ago, he loves it up here.

“Kudos to Jamie Mott, he rode in the night meeting at Cranbourne last night and he has come up to ride for me in the first race today and then this in the Hollindale, it’s an extraordinary effort.”

The veteran stayer was the big mover in betting for the Group 1 Doomben Cup in a fortnight’s time, with TAB slashing his odds from $26 into a $6 second favourite with the rich Q22 set to be one of his final runs.

After a slashing run for third, Kovalica put his campaign back on track and confirmed his standing as the Doomben Cup favourite, while Huetor drifted from $4 to $8 after finishing down the track.

Originally published as Jockey Jamie Mott's whirlwind 16 hours before Hollindale Stakes win on Numerian