Travolta caps big day out for Collett and Waller on final Saturday

Travolta stormed down the outside fence to win the last at Randwick and cap a satisfying finish to Saturday racing for jockey Jason Collett and premier Sydney trainer Chris Waller.

The $10 Sportsbet chance held off stablemate Pure Alpha by just over a length to win the 1800m benchmark 78 handicap for colts, gelding and entires, giving Collett four victories on the card and Waller a double.

Jason Collett, right, wins down the outside fence on Travolta.Credit: Getty Images

Collett went to outright second on the Sydney jockeys’ premiership on 71, four ahead of Zac Lloyd (67), with one midweek meeting remaining in the season. James McDonald (83) has wrapped up a seventh consecutive title. Collett, who claimed a first Doncaster Mile on Stefi Magnetica this season, also won on Nashville Jack, Regimental Colours and Oh Diamond Lil on Saturday.

“The Donnie was great, I think I’ve had just under 20 stakes winners, and I’m really proud of the season I’ve had,” Collett said.

“I’ve got to sit on some great horses and it just keeps building nicely. I love what I do and I’m fortunate I have a job I enjoy.”

Waller earlier won with Cigar Flick ($12), which swooped down the outside from near-last under Tommy Berry to take out the benchmark 88 handicap (1100m) by just over a length from World Alliance.

Cigar Flick storms down the outside to win for jockey Tommy Berry on Saturday at Randwick.Credit: Getty Images

“She’s a frustrating horse, but she tries her hardest,” Waller said.

“She’s going well, but she’s reached her level, so it’s not easy to win. She needs everything to flow, she needs to come into the race at the right, the right track conditions, and today it was.”

Cigar Flick’s fifth career win took her earnings past $600,000 in 26 starts and gave Berry a double on the day after an earlier success on Lugh.

“She won’t have too much more racing,” Waller said.

“The mum is a sister to Fangirl, so she’s well-bred and she’ll go to stud this year, and she’s done a great job.”

The victories gave Waller, celebrating a 15th consecutive Sydney trainers’ title, 142 city winner for the season. He also claimed an Australian record 19 group 1s in 2024-25.

“It’s been a good season and we’re already warmed up and ready to go for the new season,” he said.

“We’ve seen most of the horses have their first trials, and some are having their second on Tuesday.

“The big guns are trialling again, two weeks after their first. We’ve just got to work out where they all head. Just try to split them up best we can, and I think we’ll have good representation in Sydney, but there will also be good overflow towards Melbourne.”

Pfieffer’s Diamond shines again

Warwick Farm trainer David Pfieffer was envisioning Oh Diamond Lil out front in the group 3 Belle Of The Turf at Gosford after she made it three wins in five starts this preparation.

The $2.70 favourite raced alongside Aberlour in the benchmark 88 handicap (1600m) and the pair cleared out before Oh Diamond Lil surged to a two-length win. Aberlour was seven lengths clear of the rest.

It was back-to-back Randwick mile victories for the $200,000 four-year-old So You Think mare, taking her record to six wins and five placings in 13 starts, and $442,600 in earnings.

The $300,000 Belle Of The Turf (1600m) on December 30 loomed as an attractive next target for Pfieffer.

Oh Diamond Lil wins on Saturday.Credit: Getty Images

“I’m leaning towards giving her a short let-up and aim her up for something at the back-end of the carnival,” Pfieffer said.

“Belle Of The Turf, and she’s an Inglis horse, so there’s that mares race in Melbourne, and maybe even the wildcards for the Big Dance.

“Ideally we want to get some black-type for her down the track somewhere … and imagine her leading around Gosford. That’s a nice race to look at.”

Jack bounces back for Widdup

Hawkesbury trainer Brad Widdup will look to the listed Rosebud on August 16 at Rosehill with Farnan colt Nashville Jack after he returned with a dominant two-length win.

A $4.80 chance with Sportsbet, Nashville Jack came from midfield with a rails run to race clear over the final 100m of the 1100m two-year-old handicap. Lindsay Park’s Romeo’s Choice was second.

Nashville Jack, a $225,000 buy for new Everest slot-holder Mulberry Racing, was fourth in the Silver Slipper and fifth in the Black Opal Stakes in his first preparation.

“His run was very good in the Opal and he came in with a shoe sticking halfway up his foot, so we put him out,” Widdup said.

“He’s trialled up really well and it’s just great to see him return like that.”

Widdup-trained Hasty Honey was later nailed close to the line in the sixth by Joe Pride-trained, Andrew Adkins-ridden $51 shot Investment.

“She’s looking for 2400m, but I thought this race on the way on a wet track suited,” said Pride, who backed Investment.

Apprentice Will Stanley was suspended from August 4-11 for excessive whip use on Hasty Honey, which he hit 19 times. He earlier hit Forecaster nine times before the 100m mark and was fined $500.

Dunn full of praise

Murwillumbah trainer Matt Dunn will look to Brisbane targets with Full Of Sincerity after the five-year-old made the trip to Randwick worthwhile with a strong class 3 Highway Plate (1800m) win.

A close fourth last start in the 2230m Grafton Cup prelude, Full Of Sincerity ($9 Sportsbet) travelled midfield for Ash Morgan before taking over at the 200m mark and racing to a one and three-quarter length victory from Stirling Osland’s So You Are and stablemate Moon Sweeper.

“He’s done a good job actually,” Dunn said of Full Of Sincerity, a New Zealand Derby placegetter formerly with Andrew Forsman.

“He’s been up for a long time now and it took a bit of thinking whether we brought him down for this race or not.

“Ultimately we thought we might get a softish track, like we did, and he appreciates that sort of ground, and obviously coming back in trip slightly, he was very good late.”

Glorious farewell for Heavelon

Namibian-born jockey Heavelon Van Der Hoven hopes to return and ride Glorious Moments again after the Jim and Greg Lee-trained son of Brutal gave him a first NSW metropolitan winner on his final day before moving to Brisbane.

Glorious Moments backed up a maiden win at Canterbury on June 18 with a four-length domination at Randwick as the $3.80 favourite in the 1300m benchmark 72 handicap for three-year-olds.

It was a first NSW city win for Van Der Hoven, who has been in Sydney for five years but is moving to base himself in Brisbane on Sunday.

“Yeah, I wish it had happened earlier,” the 32-year-old said of the breakthrough victory.

“But very grateful for the opportunity and for the team for giving me the support that they have here and hopefully I can stay on him.

“I’ve been doing well around here, I’m just going to try and see how I go up there. I really like the atmosphere, and the weather especially, so I’ll just try it and see how we go.”

He said Glorious Moments was still raw but was an exciting prospect with a “good turn of foot”.