Upbeat jockey Nash Rawiller says Snowden colt Rulership ‘gives you the feel of something special’
The Snowdens could have another baby star on the rise with Rulership setting alight Royal Randwick and an impressed jockey Nash Rawiller says ‘there’s definitely more under the hood’.
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Usually a man of few words, Nash Rawiller tried not to get carried away by brilliant two-year-old Rulership’s debut win — but the champion jockey couldn’t help himself.
“I haven’t ridden a colt with an attitude like him for a long time,’’ he said. “He gives you the feel of something pretty special.’’
Rawiller was only making a statement of fact after Rulership toyed with his rivals in the $2 million Inglis Millennium In 14 Days Handicap (1000m) at Royal Randwick.
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Rulership ($2.90 favourite) added his name to the army of promising two-year-olds to emerge from the Peter and Paul Snowden stable this season when he led throughout and dominated his rivals, scoring by 2¼ lengths without being put under pressure by his rider.
Mission River ($7) was good on debut, running on to take second just in front of Ticket To Ride ($8).
While Rulership was a runaway winner, his stablemate Mount Fuji, a $2.8 million Easter Sale graduate, faded badly from the turn and failed to beat a runner to the line.
Sea Boss was pulled out of the race by jockey Josh Parr as he was concerned by the colt’s action.
Rulership ran the 1000m in 57.28sec with a closing 600m of 33.81sec, impressing Rawiller with his near-faultless racing manners.
“He feels very adaptable and did everything right,’’ Rawiller said. “For a two-year-old having his first start, he was very good.
“There’s definitely more under the ‘hood’; he had the race won a long way out.’’
Rulership, a $900,000 Magic Millions Sales buy, is by super sire I Am Invincible out of stakes winner Devoirs, is likely to be aimed at the Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield next month. “Rulership is an ultra-professional in everything he does and remains on target for a (Blue) Diamond preparation,’’ co-trainer Paul Snowden said.
“He won’t go down until probably the week of the Prelude. We will keep him up here then send him down and he will take his place.”
Snowden, who trains in partnership with his father, was reluctant to rank Rulership alongside the likes of stablemates such as boom filly Dame Giselle after just one start.
“I think we will be guided by Rulership’s next run to see where he sits among them,’’ Snowden said.
“Potentially, he has always been one of the top five or six colts in the stable.
“He’s a lovely horse. Have a look at him, the head, the body, he’s a beautiful customer.
“He jumps, travels, sits off. He has a turn of foot and he’s only going to get better when he gets up to six and seven furlongs (1200m, 1400m) later on.”
Snowden was left searching for answers following the flop of expensive colt Mount Fuji.
Racing NSW stewards questioned the trainer about Mount Fuji after the race with the trainer believing the colt’s inexperience contributed to his poor showing.
“It was probably the difference between a horse that was savvy and knows what he’s doing (Rulership) and one that seemed to run on nerves,’’ Snowden said.
“I was a little bit disappointed in the other horse (Mount Fuji) and how he handled himself.
“He just pulled himself into the ground the whole race and that’s what you see, the effects of not relaxing well enough to finish off.
“He pulled his head off. If he’d got cover earlier, he would have relaxed and switched off but he didn’t switch off at all.”
LAST-START FLOP CRADLE MOUNTAIN HITS A HIGH
Cradle Mountain reverted to type and ran his rival ragged at Royal Randwick yesterday.
This was the exciting Cradle Mountain of old as he smashed a losing streak that stretched more than a year and staged the ultimate form reversal to win the Listed $150,000 Carrington Stakes (1400m).
The win also gave Clare Cunningham her first stakes winner as a trainer and it was fitting she could celebrate with her partner, winning jockey Jason Collett.
Cradle Mountain bounced back from a first-up effort last month when he failed to be a runner home to produce a career-best win.
“We always thought he had the ability to do this but just has had no luck,’’ Cunningham said.
“To see him run last first-up was quite deflating as I thought we had in him very good order.
“But he obviously prefers to be ridden that way he got ridden today, dominating from the front, and it was great to see him win.’’
Cradle Mountain ($11) burst out of the barriers, crossed the field from his outside gate and was never really challenged, streaking home one-and-a-quarter lengths clear of Cellarman ($12) with Gaulois ($8) a close third.
Southern Lad was sent out the $2.80 favourite after his impressive last start win — where Cradle Mountain finished eight lengths behind him — but he seemed to have every chance before finishing fourth.
Collett rode his first Group 1 winner on Invincibella in the Tatt’s Tiara last year but he rated Cradle Mountain’s Carrington right up there with his career highlights.
“My first Group 1 win back in June was pretty awesome but this is a different satisfaction,’’ Collett said.
“Clare had been hoping to get a black type as she has some nice horses in the stable but until today it hadn’t quite happened but hopefully this is a sign of things to come.’’
After Cradle Mountain’s last start flop, Cunningham and Collett agreed to abandon the idea of trying to harness Cradle Mountain’s speed and let the gelding use his natural brilliance.
Cradle Mountain scored his seventh win from just 17 starts to take his prizemoney over $400,000.
TAB BET BETS
RACE ONE
Punters were on top early with Rulership landing several big bets in the PFD Food Services Handicap (1000m).
Plenty of big money was riding on the $2.90 favourite which opened $3.50 earlier in the week.
Rulership held 45 percent of the total investment and was a losing result for TAB.
Of the others, Tight Ropes ($6.50-$5.50-$6) was the subject of good money as was Mount Fuji ($4.80).
BETS: Rulership $10,000 @ $2.90, $10,000 @ $1.40 PLACE
BETS: Mount Fuji $2,000 @ $4.80
RACE TWO
Mr Wong defied a late drift to race away and take out the TAB Highway (1100m) in impressive fashion.
The son of Mossman went $3.70-$4.40 in the final stages of betting but still retained favouritism from money horse Velvet Aeroplane ($6.50-$4.80).
In fact Velvet Aeroplane held more money than Mr Wong with the pair dominating the market. They were responsible for 60 percent of the total investment.
BETS: Mr Wong $2,000 @ $4.40, $1,900 @ $4.40, $1,000 @ $4.40
BETS: Bellszov Bourke $1,000 e/w @ $6/$2.10
BETS: Velvet Aeroplane $1,200 @ $5.50, $1,500 @ $4.80 TWICE
RACE THREE
Favourite backers were on the mark in the second of the TAB Highway (1100m) events this afternoon.
Hellenism jumped a $3.20 favourite after being $2.70 in the morning but despite the late drift, she was easily the best backed runner in the race with nearly 33 per cent of the money riding on her.
Conspirator ($4.80) was the subject of a good betting move and was best tried to beat the fav. Of the others, Blitzar ($5) had admirers as did Mr Aloysius ($11-$8).
BETS: Hellenism $4,000 @ $3.40
BETS: Conspirator $1,000 @ $5
RACE FOUR
Fun Fact ($5.50-$4.80) landed the cash for its supporters in the $2m Inglis Millennium In 14 Days Handicap (2000m).
The Bjorn Baker runner was kept safe in betting and attracted a number of decent bets.
Matowi ($3.70) was well backed today after being $4.40 in the morning while Dabiyr ($2.60-$2.90) was a drifter late in betting.
RACE FIVE
A sensational betting move late for Mugatoo paid dividends in The Coopers Hotel Newtown Handicap (1600m).
The Kris Lees-trained import opened the day at $3 and was crunched in the final 30 minutes of betting, eventually jumping a $2.15 favourite.
Having his first run in Australia, the gelding commanded 51 percent of the total investment.
Valentino Rossa ($11), which opened $51 on Wednesday, was still well backed today at eachway odds while Toryjoy ($7) had admirers at the price.
All Too Soon ($7.50-$4.80-$5) saw a move come for it an hour prior to the jump but that fizzled out closer to the jump.
BETS: Mugatoo $1,429 @ $3.10, $1,500 @ $2.90, $1,500 @ $2.60, $4,380 @ $2.40, $1,850 @ $2.40, $2,000 @ $2.30, $1,000 @ $2.30, $5,000 @ $2.20, $1,000 @ $2.20, $20,000 @ $2.15, $3,500 @ $2.15, $2,000 @ $2.15, $1,000 @ $2.15 MULTIPLE TIMES
RACE SIX
The two money horses were out of play in the City Tatts Bushfire Appeal Handicap (1600m).
Helga ($2.30-$2.40) and Seles ($6.50-$5) were the two most punters were focused on heading into the event, with the former being the first horse backed when markets opened on Wednesday. At that stage, TAB had offered $4.40 about the Les Bridge runner.
To Your Health ($4.40-$5.50) drifted as a result of the support for the other two runners.
BETS: Helga $5,000 @ $2.40, $1,670 @ $2.40, $1,492 @ $2.30, $1,490 @ $2.30,
BETS: Seles $1,600 @ $5,
BETS: Missybeel $2,000 @ $5.50
RACE SEVEN
Cradle Mountain attracted good specking at a price to win the Iron Jack Supports Bushfire Appeal Carrington Stakes (1400m).
The Clare Cunningham runner went $17-$11 on the day after being $21 on Wednesday.
Southern Lad had been the mover earlier in the week but on Saturday went $2.30-$2.90 while Cellarman ($12), Passage Of Time ($8-$10) and Gaulois ($8) were popular at various points throughout the afternoon.
BETS: Cellarman $1,000 e/w @ $11/$3, $3,000 e/w @ $10/$2.80
BETS: Redouble $1,000 e/w @ $6/$2
BETS: Southern Lad $2,500 @ $2.90, $1,000 @ $2.80, $2,000 @ $2.60
BETS: Sambro $1,500 e/w @ $6.50/$2.20, $1,400 @ $6.50
BETS: Gaulois $3,000 @ $8
RACE EIGHT
The best backed runner all day did the right thing by favourite punters in the Mark Alati Bookmakers Handicap (1100m).
Pandemic was hammered throughout the day and was $2.70 in the morning but just minutes out of the jump, was smashed into $1.90 before starting a $2.20 clear favourite.
The Godolphin runner went around with 56 percent of the market and was three times as popular as second elect, Sir Elton ($3.10).
Of the others, there was a late rally for True Detective ($6.50-$10-$8) when it hit double figures.
BETS: Pandemic $5000 @ $2.50, $4500 @ $2.50, $1900 @ $2.20, $1300 @ $2.20, $5000 @ $2.15, $3,990 @ $2.15, $2,000 @ $2.15, $1,400 @ $2.15, $9,000 @ $2, $5,000 @ $2, $1,500 @ $2, $4,000 @ $1.90, $2,000 @ $1.90
BETS: Sir Elton $4,000 @ $3.10, $8,000 @ $1.35 PLACE
BETS: True Detective $2,500 @ $8
RACE NINE
I Am Vinnie caused the upset in the final event on the card – the Edney Ryan Group Handicap (1400m).
Going around at $41 on TAB Fixed Odds, the David & Coral Feek-trained galloper had some support at the big odds but nothing compared to the favourite, Superium.
Going around as a hot $1.90 favourite, Superium held four times as much as anything else in the race and was responsible for more than half the market.
BETS: Superium $12,000 @ $1.95, $3,000 @ $1.85, $2,200 @ $1.85