Star South Australian jockey Clare Lindop takes us back through her historic 2006 Adelaide Cup win aboard Exalted Time
Homegrown star jockey Clare Lindop won the 2006 Adelaide Cup aboard Exalted Time. Now, she’s gone in depth to look back at her experience of the day.
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There’s always a buzz and excitement in the air on Adelaide Cup Day.
The interstate raiders are in town to have a crack at our feature.
I always relished the challenge of taking on the best on my home turf. Sometimes for a jockey, it’s the best chance you’ve got to show case what you do, and riding a winner is just that bit more satisfying.
Exalted Time was my ride in the Cup and bookmakers gave us a place chance at 10/1 but I was quietly confident we could run a sneaky race. I’d won the Birthday Cup the month before and finished second in the Lord Reims Stakes 10 days earlier.
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Jimmy Smith (trainer) and I came up with a plan to play to our best attribute – Exalted Time’s high cruising speed. Leading all-the-way in a two-mile race is not easy, your horse can fire up too much and overdo it, leaving nothing for the finish.
But owners Ken and Helen Smith were game for me to take a risk, they gave me confidence by saying “You know him (Exalted Time) Clare, we trust your judgment” and that makes a lot of difference as a rider.
We were out there to win with a daring plan. As long as I could pull it off ….
The race starts for jockeys on the way to the gates, how much of warm-up do give your horse? Relax them or keep them on their toes? How much of your game plan do you share?
The starter calls us into line, my barrier attendant loading us away wished me luck (I’m one only seven locals out of the 20 in the race.
It takes several minutes to load the big Cup field, the horses feel the tension and react excitedly in anticipation of the race.
It’s noisy, with people calling out for last minute adjustments, gates crashing closed and the starting stalls can rock around too. As the final horse comes up, I take a deep breath and give Exalted Time a good luck pat.
The gates spring open, the power it takes to jump from standstill to 60km an hour is always exhilarating, no matter how many times you do it. And were off …
He jumped perfectly and I sent him forward, we were in second position as we went past the grandstand for the first time, but the leader was going slow and I could hear some scrimmaging going on behind me.
Jockeys were still jostling for positions and knowing that if we went too slowly that someone would seize the initiative and whip around us, I gave Exalted Time more reign at the winning post.
He pricked his ears as we went to the lead, he was keen on the bridal, but his action felt relaxed and breathing was even. I kept the strong pace up along the back stretch, using his strength, but I steadied him down as we approached the 1600m mark.
Half way he had relaxed beautifully and I was able to give him a breather around the top turn as no one would want to make a move out wide on a bend. With 1000m to go I changed position, gathering up Exalted Time to prepare for the onslaught – I could hear the challengers starting to come.
We stayed off the fence, as the better going was out wider in the straight. From the 600m I took the final turn at an angle, spearing out even wider, knowing the rest of the field would all follow and have to go even wider. As we straightened up for home, I thought to myself “we are getting away with this” and asked Exalted Time for his best effort, and head down, fully stretch, away we went …
I could hear the favourite Tubular Bells coming hot on our tail with 200m to go, but I stayed in rhythm and didn’t dare look behind me. The roar of the crowd helped lift us, and as we sailed clear past the winning post, I let out a whoop of jubilation- we had done it!
Easing down and pulling up, I took that little bit of space just for myself and Exalted Time. I stroked his neck and shook my head in a daze. So, this is what it feels like to be a Group 1 winner!
Other jockeys gave me a shout as we cantered back to scale, the crowd cheered, and as we came back into the winner’s enclosure Exalted Time seemed to arch his neck and smile for the cameras.
Jim Smith, Ken and Helen Smith and my family were there and we all celebrated, exhausted but exhilarated.
There is nothing quite like the ride a horse can take you on.