Career-defining Australian Cup win for incredible talent Jamie Kah

High-flying jockey Jamie Kah has franked her incredible skill by becoming the first female jockey to triumph in autumn’s feature staying showpiece, the Group 1 Australian Cup.

Jamie Kah winning her first Group 1 on Harlem. Picture: Getty Images

First run in 1863, the Australian Cup has been the iron-clad province of men since inception.

Barely 24 hours after international women’s day was celebrated globally, Jamie Kah forged new territory, notching a massively significant personal and professional win.

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Aboard $31 outsider, the 23-year-old South Australian became the first female jockey to triumph in autumn’s feature staying showpiece.

After a tough initiation into Victoria racing, Kah was almost speechless.

“This is unbelievable,” she said after Harlem fought back after being headed by deny Shillelagh ($18) by a short half-head. Trap For Fools ($15) was third.

Jamie Kah cannot believe it after claiming her first Group 1 victory.

In a race preceded by the abrupt departure of Hugh Bowman and the appointment of Corey Brown as his replacement on Avilius (fifth, $1.65 favourite), the event itself was marked by controversy.

WA gun Willie Pike was suspended for eight meetings for careless riding aboard So Si Bon (fourth) and Kah and Craig Williams (Shillelagh) were reprimanded for their rides.

Ace High (sixth) suffered a cut leg in the backwash as Lindsay Park’s David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig jubilated in the training dynasty’s ninth win in the race.

Harlem is the first horse to win successive Australian Cups since Vo Rogue in (1989-90).

But as Lindsay Park camp celebrated and Brown declared Avilius as “slightly disappointing”, Kah struggled to reconcile a towering achievement.

Jamie Kah and Harlem combine to win the Australian Cup.

“This is just unreal,” she beamed. “I came over (to Victoria) for these opportunities but I didn’t expect it so soon.

“Everything worked out perfectly. He travelled amazing and on the turn, he was just cruising.

“I got headed (by Shillelagh) but I knew he (Harlem) was going to be in for the fight.

“He was so, so tough. At the 200(m), I thought he was gone because he hit a flat spot late and he just kept coming and coming.”

Harlem hadn’t run a place since his Australian Cup win last year, but David Hayes had openly spruiked the veteran pre-race.

“I thought he was in better form this year,” Hayes said.

“It was just a huge result and thrill. He showed incredible fight because he was beaten twice and kicked back.

“It’s just great to give Jamie her first Group 1 winner.”

Brown said Avilius loomed to win, but faded.

“When he got through at the 300m mark, I thought he was going to put them to bed,” he said.

“I thought he would find another gear, but he didn’t.”

Macedon Lodge trio The Taj Mahal (ninth), Almandin (13th) and Rekindling (15th) under-performed.

Stewards reported 2016 Melbourne Cup Almandin showed traces of blood on a post-race scope.

AUSTRALIAN CUP

Notable bets on Harlem (placed Saturday unless stated)

$1000 @ $41

$250 each-way @ $34/$6

$200 @ $31 {placed on March 6}

$200 each-way @ $26/$7.25 {placed on February 19}

$100 each-way @ $41/$8

Notable Bets on Avilius (Placed Saturday unless stated)

$25,000 @ $1.16 the place

$15,000 @ $1.22 the place {placed on March 8}

$7800 @ $1.16 the place

$5500 @ $1.65

$5000 @ $1.75 [two separate bets]

$5000 @ $1.60

$2000 @ $3.50 {placed on February 10}

$2000 @ $3 {placed on February 17}

$2000 @ $2.80 [placed on February 19}

$1750 @ $8 {placed on February 9}

Notable Multis involving Avilius (Placed Saturday Unless Stated)

$10,000 @ $3.12 on Ebony Magi (won Geraldton Race 2) | Avilius

$9000 @ $2.92 on The Autumn Sun (won Randwick Guineas) | Avilius {placed on March 7}

$9000 @ $2.70 on The Autumn Sun (won Randwick Guineas) | Avilius {placed on March 8}

$8000 @ $2.72 on The Autumn Sun (won Randwick Guineas) | Avilius

$5000 @ $3 on The Autumn Sun (won Randwick Guineas) | Avilius {placed on March 6}

Bets of note on other runners (Placed Saturday unless stated)

$2000 @ $18 on Shillelagh (Second)

$1000 @ $16 on Trap For Fools (Third)

$1000 @ $15 on Night’s Watch (Unplaced) {placed on February 9}

$750 each-way @ $51/$9 on Yogi (Unplaced) {placed on March 8}

$700 the win / $500 the place @ $11/$3.10 on Night’s Watch (Unplaced) {placed on March 7}

THE WHISPER PAYS OFF IN SPADES

Lindsay Park’s patience with expensive acquisition Spanish Whisper paid off in spades with Group 2 Kewney Stakes victory — and David Hayes hopes there are plenty more big pay days ahead.

“She cost a lot of money but now she’s a Group 2 winner in Australia and she’s got the chance to be a Group 1 winner,” Hayes said, outlining plans to run in the Coolmore Legacy.

“I think she’s got it all ahead of her because she’s just learning how to do things right.

“She’s been a bit aggressive and she’s taken a while to settle in.

“But that was a good effort. She dug in deep and beat what I think is a very good filly (Victory Kingdom).

“Last prep, she was melting before the races. On Saturday, her manners were much, much better and they’ll keep getting better.”

Spanish Whisper overhauled stablemate Victory Kingdom. Angelic Ruler was a luckless third.

TAB BIG BETS

RACE ONE

Superhard defied a big betting drift to prove too good in the opening event on the card.

The John Sadler runner opened at $5.50 on Wednesday but was largely ignored by punters and by the time the race rolled around, he blew out to $11.

Finishing best over the final 200 metres, Superhard raced away to beat Belwazi ($9) and Bandipur ($9.50).

Most of the money centred around Mystyko ($5) and King Of Yulong ($6) with the pair responsible for 46 per cent of the total investment while Crown Witness ($5) had its share of admirers too.

BETS: Crown Witness $2000 @ $5, $1,000 x $2000 e/w @ $5/$1.90, $1000 e/w @ $5/$1.90, $1000 @ $5

BETS: Malahat $2000 @ $5

BETS: King Of Yulong $2000 @ $6

RACE TWO

Simply Invincible knocked out plenty of multis when taking out the World Horse Racing Trophy (1400m).

Sent out an $11 chance, the son of I Am invincible sat outside the hot favourite Greyworm ($2.40-$2), he nailed the leader right on the line in a stirring finish.

Antah, which drifted $4.40-$5.50 late, wound up in third but was never a factor.

Greyworm had been nearly three times as popular as anything else and held nearly 50 per cent of the market.

The win gave Ben Melham an early double having saluted with Superhard in the opener.

BETS: Simply Invincible $500 @ $10

BETS: Greyworm $5000 @ $2, $4,000 @ $2, $3000 @ $2, $2000 @ $2, $25,000 @ $1.16 PLACE

RACE THREE

Hang Man landed some nice investments when he finished too well for his rivals in the Furphy Ale Handicap (2000m).

The Michael Moroney runner tracked through the favourite Thunder Cloud on straightening before peeling around its heels to issue its challenge. Hitting the line hard, Hang Man ($4.20-$3.80) ran down the leader Valac ($9-$7.50) with the well tried Thunder Cloud ($2.70) back in third.

While Hang Man had been popular on Saturday, it was Thunder Cloud that had been the focus of punters since the market opened on Wednesday. He was $4.20 at that point and held over half the total investment.

Of the others, Exemplar ($6.50) attracted a few sizeable bets.

BETS: Thunder Cloud $2500 @ $2.70, $1500 @ $2.70, $1000 @ $2.70 MULTIPLE TIMES

BETS: Hang Man $2000 @ $3.80, $1000 @ $3.80, $1,170 @ $3.70, $1115 @ $3.70, $1000 @ $3.70 MULTIPLE TIMES, $5000 @ $1.50 PLACE

BETS: Exemplar $14,500 X $5500 E/W @ $6.50/$1.95, $2,000 @ $6.50

Damien Oliver pilots Anjana to victory in the Incognitus Stakes.

RACE FOUR

Anjana stopped TAB from taking a big loss on the race after it saluted in the Incognitus Stakes (1100m).

The Mick Price filly looked strong over the concluding stages as she beat Sunset Watch ($5-$4.80) which represented a big loss for TAB had it won.

Fine Dane, which led them up, held third at $15.

Sunset Watch was twice as popular as anything else while Bleu Roche ($5.50-$7) and Golden Hallo ($11) were well tried as well.

BETS: Anjana $2000 @ $8.50, $1000 @ $7

RACE FIVE

La Tene was too strong her rivals in the MSS Security Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400 metres).

Another winner on the day for Godolphin and James Cummings, La Tene didn’t have a great deal of backing as the daughter of Helmet went around a $14 chance.

Racing on the speed and doing plenty of work, La Tene held off the heavily supported Dalasan ($3.70) which didn’t have a great deal of luck in the straight. Fling, which had led at $41, held third and wasn’t far away.

Dalasan held approximately 43 per cent of the total investment and rattled home from the second half of the field. Really Discreet ($4.80), which was a close fourth, actually held more money than any of the other runners outside the fav.

Of the others, Hawker Hurricane had admirers as well.

BETS: Dalasan $10,000 @ $3.70

RACE SIX

Brilliant filly Sunlight led throughout to win the Group One Seppelt Wines Newmarket Handicap (1200m).

Leading throughout for Barend Vorster, Sunlight repelled the challenge of Graff ($8.50-$7.50) to hold on and beat the flying Osborne Bulls ($4) with Brave Smash ($31) getting the third spot just in front of Graff.

Sunlight was the third most popular runner in terms of money taken, behind Osborne Bulls and Santa Ana Lane ($11).

Osborne Bulls was responsible for 35 per cent of the market and held nearly four times as much money as the winner.

Outside of those, Eduardo had been a notable firmer having been $8.50 in the morning. The Sarah Azchoke-trained runner jumped a $6 second pick behind Osborne Bulls.

BETS: Sunlight $1000 e/w @ $13/$4.20, $1000 @ $13

BETS: Graff $1000 @ $8.50

BETS: Santa Ana Lane $3000 @ $9.50

BETS: Osborne Bulls $10,000 @ $4.20

RACE SEVEN

Spanish Whisper benefited from having a good spot fourth in the run to take out the TAB Kewney Stakes (1400m).

Dwayne Dunn issued his challenge at the right time as the $7.50 chance overhauled the gallant Victory Kingdom ($12), which led, with Angelic Ruler ($2.90-$2.60) hitting the line hard for third after being held up until midway down the straight.

Angelic Ruler was easily the most popular runner in front of Princess Jenni ($8-$12), despite being a drifter, with Spanish Whisper next best in front of Kenyan Wonder ($6).

BETS: Spanish Whisper $1000 @ $7.50 TWICE

Trainer David Hayes hugs Jamie Kah after her amazing achievement.

RACE EIGHT

Harlem made it back-to-back TAB Australian Cups when it outlasted its opposition in the Group 1 over 2000m.

Settling fourth in the run, Harlem had to pull out all the stops as the $34 shot was challenged by Shillelagh ($18) and kicked strongly under the urgings of Jamie Kah to get the win in a tight photo. It was Kah’s first Group 1 win.

Trap For Fools, which led, held on for third at $14.

The big disappointment from a betting perspective was the odds-on favourite Avilius, which was hammered in betting. The James Cummings runner was $1.80-$1.65 on the day and commanded over half the investment on the race.

BETS: Harlem $1000 @ $41

BETS: Avilius $5000 @ $1.75 twice, $3500 @ $1.65, $5000 @ $1.60, $3000 @ $1.60 TWICE, $7800 @ $1.16 PLACE

RACE NINE

Spanish Reef proved too tough for her rivals as she won the final event on the program.

The Ken Keys-trained mare did all the work in the run and landed some nice bets after Mark Zahra got the best out of her in the run home. Spanish Reef had been $4.20 in the morning before jumping as a $5.50 chance.

She drifted mainly due to the support for the favourite Naantali ($3.20-$2.70), which ended up holding slightly more money than the winner, but the two horses were easily the two most popular in terms of money held.

The money was nearly spot on as Naantali finished a narrow second with Pure Scot ($15) grabbing the minor end of the money.

BETS: Spanish Reef $2000 x $10,000 e/w @ $5.50/$2, $1000 @ $5.50 MULTIPLE TIMES, $5000 @ $5, $1380 @ $5, $1000 @ $5, $2500 @ $4.80