Trainer Darren Weir the toast of Caulfield with dual Group 1 success
DARREN Weir continued his domination of the Group 1 Toorak Handicap with a fourth win in five years, while also adding the Group 1 Thousand Guineas to his Caulfield booty.
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DARREN Weir continued his domination of the Group 1 Toorak Handicap when he won the event for the fourth time in five years when Land Of Plenty overcame a wide draw to win.
His rider Damian Lane also made it back-to-back wins having won the previous year on Weir’s Tosen Stardom.
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Weir’s Toorak Handicap winning streak began in 2014 with Trust In A Gust 2014 and was followed by Lucky Hussler the next year before winning the past two runnings.
Land Of Plenty completed an unlikely Group 1 successive races double as he started from the outside barrier of 19 while Amphitrite who won the Thousand Guineas also started from the outside barrier of 16.
Weir said he swore audibly when Land Of Plenty drew barrier 19 on Wednesday but everything worked out for him in the run.
“If you knew that was going to happen, if you knew someone was going to cart you into the race like that and it was the same with Amphitrite you wouldn’t mind so much as they both got clear galloping room late.”
Weir said he had set Land Of Plenty for the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, which he finished third in and the Toorak Handicap.
“He was great in the other race and things didn’t work out but now we can he’s won one,” he said.
Weir said Land Of Plenty’s connections sent him to his stables at the start of the year with the request to win a Group 1 race as he was a stallion.
“I just wanted to win a race first. When he won in Adelaide in May I thought I’d put him away for these races.”
Damian Lane said he took his chances from an outside draw in the early stages in the hope he could gain a mid-field spot.
“Lucky there was good speed and I got a lovely tow into the race. The horse did the rest,” Lane said.
Lane said he worked hard to get down to 53kg during the week as it was a weight he didn’t ride at often.
Hartnell ran a brave second with his big weight and looked a winning chance until the closing stages.
Land Of Plenty was heavily backed from $6.50 to start a $4.20 favourite and he won by a length and a quarter over Hartnell ($9) with Siege Of Quebec ($10) a half length away third.
TOORAK HANDICAP
Notable bets on Land Of Plenty (placed today)
$3000 @ $4.20
$2500 @ $4.20 (two separate bets)
$2000 @ $4.20 (two separate bets)
Bets of note on other runners
$10,000 @ $11 on Jungle Cat (Unplaced)
$10,000 @ $8 on Jungle Cat (Unplaced)
$8000 @ $8 on Jungle Cat (Unplaced)
$3300 @ $14 on Cliff’s Edge (Unplaced)
$3000 @ $8 on Jungle Cat (Unplaced)
AMPHITRITE SURPRISES WEIR WITH STUNNING WIN
By Russell Gould
THE future for Thousand Guineas winner Amphitrite could include a trip to the Group 2 Wakeful Stakes at Flemington in three weeks.
But trainer Darren Weir isn’t overly fussed what happens next after the three-year-old filly exceeded his expectations by storming down the outside to collect a stunning Group 1 win.
Weir and his racing manager Jeremy Rogers purchased the daughter of Sebring for $50,000, and quickly syndicated her to the under bidders, Flying Start Syndications.
And there was no louder roar at Caulfield on Saturday that that from the huge group of owners who watched their girl topple a quality field and sent her worth as a broodmare soaring.
“Jeremy Rogers picks out a lot of good horses for not much money,” Weir said after the victory.
“It doesn’t matter where she goes now though, we just have to look after her.”
Amphitrite overran $101 shot Fundamentalist ahead of Seabrook in third, with the second of Weir’s three runners, Anjana, in fourth.
Questions about short-priced favourite Sweet Melody’s ability to run out a strong 1600m proved correct, when she faded to finish seventh, just ahead of Weir’s third runner, Krone.
“(Amphitrite) was in great shape but I didn’t know if any of my three fillies were good enough,’ Weir said.
“But they all ran as good as they could run and the barriers weren’t such a disadvantage as I thought they would be.”
The victory was a fourth straight win for Amphitrite, in just her seventh start, which included Group 2 success in the Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) at Flemington last week.
It was that victory which moved Weir to start her in at Caulfield, and he’s adamant she’ll relish the 2000m of the Wakeful.
“It was a no-brainer, she had a good week, we ummed and ahhed with the barrier draw (16), but it was going to be three weeks to the Wakeful if she didn’t run. I’m glad we did,” he said.
“She’s a beauty, the further she goes the better she’ll get.”
THOUSAND GUINEAS (placed today)
BIGGEST BET ON AMPHITRITE
$1000 @ $13
BETS OF NOTE ON OTHER RUNNERS
$10,000 @ $2.20 on Smart Melody (Unplaced) (two separate bets)
$5000 @ $2.20 on Smart Melody (Unplaced)
$5000 @ $2.15 on Smart Melody (Unplaced)
$2500 the win / $1000 the place @ $101/$16 on Tahitian Dancer (Unplaced)
PRIDE SPEEDSTER ON THE BALL
By Leo Schlink
ERASING memories of abject Moir Stakes failure, Ball Of Muscle has rewarded trainer Joe Pride’s faith — and added further lustre to super-dam Parfore’s record — with brilliant victory in the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes.
Beaten almost 10 lengths in the Moir when last to Viddora, Ball Of Muscle was whisked back to Warwick Farm and, when Pride found nothing wrong, was sent back to Melbourne on a redemption mission.
The decision paid off when Ball Of Muscle ($9.5) lifted the $400,000 sprint, holding off surging Spirit Of Valor ($17) and Missrock (11).
“I was a bit nervous today, he was coming here off a last-start failure (last in the Moir Stakes),” Pride said.
“He was caught up on the inside at The Valley and he didn’t like it.
“He pulled up and he was really angry. Craig gave him plenty of room today.”
“You’re backing your judgement to bring him back, another two weeks later.
“But felt like everything was right back home so brought him back, fingers crossed, and it was a fantastic result.”
Pride has trained three of Parfore’s progeny — Ball Of Muscle and Tiger Tees, both by Dubawi, and Terravista, by Captain Rio.
The trio has collectively amassed almost $5.5million – with another of Parfore’s offspring Super Easy winning more than $9million in Asia.
For Pride, Ball Of Muscle is the latest in an impressive line.
“The three brothers that I’ve trained have all been so good to the stable, they’ve been the backbone of the stable for seven or eight years now,” he said.
“He loves Caulfield clearly so maybe a couple trips back here for him as well.
“He’s in career-best form.”
The win brought up an early double for Craig Williams.
CONNECTIONS BREATHE EASIER AFTER DOMINANT WIN
By Michael Manley
ROSEMONT Stud proprietor Anthony Mithen took special satisfaction with the easy win of the Darren Weir-trained Iconoclasm in the Weekend Hussler Stakes.
After his previous run five weeks ago Iconoclasm had surgery to repair an entrapped epiglottis which usually leads to a horse being spelled.
Mithen said Iconoclasm was operated on by Mornington vet Ben Mason who employed a different procedure for this throat surgery.
“He’d done it before successfully for us with another horse and I said to Weiry keep him in work. He told me he’s flying which surprised him,” Mithen said.
Mithen said Weir had been so impressed with Iconoclasm’s recovery that he’s arranged to send another horse for the procedure.
Mithn said Iconoclasm would now contest the Group 1 Kennedy Mile (1600m) at Flemington on November 3.
Iconoclasm is by Mithen’s stallion Toorak Toff, who has been relocated from his stud to Tasmania.
Stewards query Pride Of Jenni Toorak entry
Racing Victoria stewards have inquired into leading trainer Ciaron Maher’s decision to enter star mare Pride Of Jenni for Saturday’s Group 1 Toorak Handicap at Caulfield.
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Just Fine’s gutsy win earned him a Melbourne Cup weight penalty, while Racing Victoria also announced penalties for last Saturday’s Epsom Handicap and Metropolitan winners.