MITHEN ACCOMPLISHED
Local owner’s lifelong goal realised
LOCALS reigned supreme in the Geelong Cup as Rosemont Studowned stayer Runaway stunned his rivals to claim the $350,000 Group 3 race yesterday.
The four-year-old, bred and raced by Gnarwarre’s Rosemont Stud, went straight to the front and couldn’t be chased down, holding off a class field of European stayers in the process.
It was a huge day for champion trainer Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, who trained the quinella, with Runaway holding off stablemate Northwest Passage by three quarters of a length to win the Cup.
Highly-rated import Finche finished third on his way towards the Melbourne Cup. Race favourite English stayer Withhold, who ran a distant eighth, had excuses after he returned to the mounting yard bleeding from both nostrils.
Waterhouse will have to earn her money if Runaway is to get into the Melbourne Cup, with her star needing a huge penalty from handicapper Greg Carpenter today to force his way into the field.
Runaway is currently 49th in the order of entry with 50.5kg for the Melbourne Cup, meaning connections may need to head to the Lexus Stakes on Derby Day to earn one of the 24 spots up for grabs.
“I am not the handicapper, but he will get a penalty I would imagine and that always helps, doesn’t it?” Waterhouse said of Runaway’s Melbourne Cup hopes.
“He’s such an honest horse, they’re (Runaway and Northwest Passage) both so honest and they’re both so tough and that stood by them today.
“They’re both nominated for Melbourne Cup. That’s their mission and been their mission from day one.
“How we get there (is up in the air), let’s hope and pray we can.
“They’re two very exciting stayers. This has proven itself over the years as being a great lead-up to the Melbourne Cup and they have peaked at the right time.
“The Lexus is a marvellous race which I have won before and I love staying races. (Staying races are) exciting, they give you something to think about and the jockeys as well and the owners go delirious with them, don’t they?”
Runaway firmed from $201 to $101 for the Melbourne Cup on the back of his win. For Rosemont’s Anthony Mithen and Nigel Austin, winning the Geelong Cup was a dream come true.
“It’s as big as I’ve ever had,” Mithen said of winning his hometown cup. “I’ve won Group 1 races but to win your hometown cup with a horse that you bred, that’s pretty cool.”
Jockey Stephen Baster rode Runaway perfectly from barrier 12, going straight to the front and dictating the tempo.
And as the field rounded the home turn, Baster had scooted away and never looked like being caught.
“This horse, I’ve ridden him a fair bit and the owners have been great to me. They just keep putting me on and it is their hometown cup so it is a bit of a dream come true for everybody, and this is fantastic,” Baster said.
“I was obviously concerned (about the imports) because of the class step-up, but he has done it before, he has stepped up in the St Leger and has showed he is a good horse.”