Quart Pot punches above her weight in Clifford Park success

RACING: Quart Pot is as honest as the day is long, and the mare enjoyed her time in the sun at Clifford Park.

Quart Pot. Photo: Nev Madsen

RACING: Quart Pot is as honest as the day is long, and the mare enjoyed her time in the sun at Clifford Park.

Sent out as an $11 outsider in the Moore Trailers Ratings 0-65 Handicap (1210m), the four-year-old made light work of the punters’ lack of faith.

Skye Bogenhuber lobbed Quart Pot into a trailing position behind Siesta Key ($4.00 fav), before peeling to the outside of runners in the home straight to score by a half-length.

Trainer Donald ‘Ducky’ Baker said it was the winning move, guiding her to victory at her fifth run this preparation.

“Skye rode her terrific,” Baker said.

“The key to her is getting her to the outside. A couple of times when she’s taken an inside run, she’s been a bit hesitant to really stretch out.

“When she’s on her game she goes good, and can just take a couple of runs to get to her best.

“These Saturday nights suit her down to the ground. She’s lightly framed so I try to nurse her as much as I can.”

In what was a testing evening for favourite punters, Commanding Spirit ($3.40) was the only market leader to salute, taking out the TAB Maiden Handicap (1640m) to close out the program.

Heavily supported runners Isaready ($2.80 into $1.60) and Snow Valley ($3.80 into $2.00) could only manage fourth and third respectively, while alarming drifter Steel Pier ($1.90 to $3.20) finished a distant eighth.

Nozi Tomizawa and apprentice Kyle Wilson-Taylor shared riding honours, each riding a double.

KROPP TAKES OUT ROMA CUP

Matt Kropp continued his strong run of country cups, with veteran galloper Scrabble ($14) taking out the $35,000 Roma Cup.

The eight-year-old was engaged in a titanic struggle with Eschiele ($3.90) in the home straight before nosing out his rival on the line.

Scone trainer Brett Cavanough didn’t come away from the meet empty-handed, with Another Sin ($3.60 fav) securing the Country Stampede Qualifier (1000m).

The gelding scored by a nose in the feature sprint, getting the better of Muron ($5.50).

CLIFFORD PARK RESULTS

Track: Good 4

Rail: +4m entire

1. RATINGS 0-65 HANDICAP, 1210m: 11.00 QUART POT (b m 4y Bel Esprit-Pintsize (NZ). Trainer: Donald Baker) 54.5 (Skye Bogenhuber) 1, 7.00 SISTER KATHLEEN 54 (Girish Goomany) 2, 4.00 fav SIESTA KEY 56.5 (Matthew Palmer) 3. Then followed: 8.50 Cincinnati Red (NZ), 16.00 Court Rules, 8.50 Shadyvale Star, 7.50 Kanavu, 5.00 Keep On Loving You, 10.00 Hallside Hot Stuff last. Scr: Incomparable, Wolff Boss, Courting Verity. ½ len, ¾ len. Time: 1:12.06 (Last 600m 35.94).

2. CLASS 1 PLATE, 1000m: 9.50 SNAP ON (b or br g 5y Hidden Dragon-Pacific Express. Trainer: John Thomas) 59 (Matthew Palmer) 1, 17.00 THE OLD BIRD (NZ) 57 carr 55 (Emma MacPherson) 2, 12.00 SOLARCH 57.5 (Skye Bogenhuber) 3. Then followed: 1.65 fav Isaready, 8.00 Uralba, 10.00 Sweet Venom, 14.00 No No Ninette, 51.00 Gotthere last. Scr: Kirra Lass, Mr Noddy, Saddle Boy. 1 ½ len, sh ½ hd. Time: 1:00.50 (Last 600m 34.84).

3. BENCHMARK 62 HANDICAP, 1875m: 3.90 TACTICAL MANUEVER (b m 7y Time Thief-May Expire. Trainer: Rob Davidson) 54 (Nozi Tomizawa) 1, 5.50 WEALTH’N’POWER 55.5 (Kenji Yoshida) 2, 101.00 BOLTIN’ DESIRE 54 (Girish Goomany) 3. Then followed: 6.00 Gratsie, 9.00 In Your Element, 11.00 Slaughter Bay, 41.00 Electric Ellyse, 3.20 fav Steel Pier, 17.00 Boiling last. Scr: Phoenix Flyer. ½ len, len. Time: 2:00.37 (Last 600m 36.01).

4. BENCHMARK 55 HANDICAP, 1640m: 9.50 SARASUN (b g 4y Mahisara-Sunlight Express. Trainer: Michael Nolan) 60 (Nozi Tomizawa) 1, 6.00 PERFECT PAGE 57 (Girish Goomany) 2, 2.40 fav LUVYOUANYTIME 61.5 (Skye Bogenhuber) 3. Then followed: 4.60 Gotta Be First, 5.50 Phoenix Flyer, 18.00 Madam Mahal, 26.00 No More Bids last. Scr: Slaughter Bay, Mbappe. 2 len, hd. Time: 1:41.40 (Last 600m 38.12).

5. CLASS 3 PLATE, 1110m: 3.50 LET’S PARTY MARTY (b g 6y Duporth-Mollycat. Trainer: Lindsay Hatch) 59 carr 56 (Kyle Wilson-Taylor) 1, 6.00 KRAKATOA ERUPTION 55.5 (Brooke Ainsworth) 2, 2.00 fav SNOW VALLEY 57 carr 55.5 (Kate Cowan) 3. Then followed: 12.00 Mick The Hat, 21.00 Incomparable, 12.00 American Crown last. Scr: Me Mum’s Foxy, Kanavu, Cincinnati Red (NZ). Len, ¾ len. Time: 1:06.13 (Last 600m 35.49).

6. MAIDEN PLATE, 1300m: 7.00 PERSIAN KING (b or br g 4y Sidestep-Shahnameh. Trainer: Mark Currie) 57.5 carr 54.5 (Kyle Wilson-Taylor) 1, 2.90 TWO SMOKIN BARRELS 57.5 (Matthew Palmer) 2, 2.50 fav KIKI COCO 54 (Beau-Dene Appo) 3. Then followed: 14.00 Remember Bella, 41.00 Massie Whisper, 13.00 Let’s Boom, 51.00 Potawatomi, 9.00 French Whisper last. Scr: Knight Enamoured, Rokatannby, Twogoboom, Mykiss Froma Rose, Mended, Black Suspect, American Reunion, Golden Whitt. 1 ½ len, ¾ len. Time: 1:20.77 (Last 600m 36.16).

7. MAIDEN HANDICAP, 1640m: 3.40 fav COMMANDING SPIRIT (b f 3y Top Echelon-Cocktail Rose. Trainer: Lindsay Hatch) 56.5 (Justin Stanley) 1, 6.50 REPETITEUR 54.5 (Nozi Tomizawa) 2, 21.00 DUSTINS 56 carr 53 (Montanna Savva) 3. Then followed: 4.00 Jet Esprit, 8.00 Anacheeva Lad, 3.60 Platinum Deal, 41.00 Pagen Floki, 91.00 Test Therock last. Scr: Mended. Lg nk, ¾ len. Time: 1:43.10 (Last 600m 38.79).

Originally published as Quart Pot punches above her weight in Clifford Park success