Prince scores a royal reception
TOUGH stayer Prince Alby repaid the faith of trainer Charlotte Littlefield and jockey Ben Thompson with a tight win in the opening race on Geelong Cup day yesterday.
The five-year-old, who has battled feet problems, scored his second career win, getting up in a photo finish in the $30,000 Avalon Airport benchmark 78 handicap.
Coming into the race off a slow tempo, Prince Alby ($3.70) got on to the back of race favourite Truly High and lengthened nicely in the straight to catch Archie Alexander’s import Prinz Hlodowig in the shadows of the winning post.
Littlefield, who was shaking with excitement after the race, said she was thrilled with her galloper’s performance.
“Big kudos to our farrier Zac King, he came this morning and changed his shoes over. He has had big problems with his feet but I think we have got on top of them now,” the Cranbourne trainer said.
“It was a big team effort to get him to win again. I’m relieved.”
Thompson went back from barrier seven in a slowly run race.
However a mid-race move by Big Pat’s Pontiac allowed Prince Alby to get momentum and he showed a good turn of foot in the straight.
“I have ridden this horse since before he had a race and it’s super to see the way he has progressed,” Thompson said.
“He put the writing on the wall last start (at Caulfield when running an eye-catching fifth), we always had that belief in him.
“We didn’t want to ride him out of his comfort zone. As soon as I found the back of Truly High I thought our job should be easy from here.
“He felt the winner from a long way out and it was lucky he put his head down (on the line).”