TREMENDOUS SPIRIT SHOWN TO COME OUT ON TOP
THE race had gone exactly to script – but then came the moment of truth.
Would Spirit Ridge take the gap or would he settle for another close second placing?
But with jockey Robbie Dolan urging Spirit Ridge between runners, the imported stayer demonstrated his emerging potential to win the Group 3 $160,000 Summer Cup (2000m) at Royal Randwick yesterday.
Spirit Ridge’s win capped an outstanding Sydney summer carnival for the Mark Newnham stable, that also included Greysful Glamour’s wins in the Listed ATC Cup and the Group 2 Villiers Stakes, but the trainer preferred to praise horse and rider for their bravery and determination.
“We discussed before the race if Robbie could give Spirit Ridge a positive ride early, find Greysful Glamour’s back, she will take him a long way in the race,’’ Newnham said.
“Then when the gap came, Spirit Ridge didn’t hesitate, and that was something we wanted to see from him.
“Spirit Ridge had three starts here before today. He was pretty good when Robbie rode him to win the first race, then he has had every chance his last two starts.
“We wanted to see him put his head out when it mattered. He ended up having the perfect run and got the job done.
“The horse was very good, and that was a 10 out of 10 ride by Robbie.’’
Spirit Ridge ($3.60 favourite) fought back after being headed by
Best Of Days ($6.50) to win by a head with Black On Gold ($16) nearly a length away in third. The Newnham stable has denied Godolphin’s Best Of Days feature race win in the Villiers Stakes and Summer Cup in successive starts by narrow margins – he was beaten only a long neck in the first leg.
Greysful Glamour ($7) made a game bid to complete a rare Villiers Stakes-Summer Cup double, and led for a long way before tiring near the line to run fifth. Dolan, a former twotime champion Sydney apprentice, conceded “everything went to plan” on Spirit Ridge.