Mr Attitude shocks in narrowest of wins
STANDING 3m past the winning post, Rockhampton trainer Ricky Vale thought he’d been beaten by half a neck.
But as the crowd waited with anticipation for a lengthy judge’s decision, he started to believe he had a dead heat.
When his horse Mr Attitude was called as a photo finish winner of the $100,000 Cleveland Bay Handicap, Vale was stunned.
His reaction to the news only bettered by the gelding’s breeder, Wayne Twigg, who began bawling in the mounting yard as emotion overtook him.
Mr Attitude, backing up after a thrilling win in the Mackay Newmarket a fortnight ago, had everything against him after drawing a wide barrier 13.
“At the end of the day, we just said ride for luck and we knew he would come home,” Twigg said.
“He had no luck. Sh-- draw and no one wanted to back him, the price was out, same in Mackay. But the horse put every step forward he should have.
“I thought he had run second. I was absolutely shattered, I thought he got beaten.
“But when they called him out, it was unbelievable. I just started bawling. I just got so excited.”
Mr Attitude was pushed forward from his wide gate by jockey Les “Bubba” Tilley, before slotting in on the rails more than five lengths off the pace setters. He was caught in traffic at the turn for home, and had to shift three deep to find himself a run.
He was given little chance by the punters watching on, but as his jockey reminded the Townsville Bulletin after the race, there is a famous saying going around North Queensland.
“Don’t be silly, back Bubba Tilley,” he laughed.
“I just had the dream run, got out at the right time and Ricky (Vale) had the horse trained to the minute basically.
“He was relaxed nicely, first bit I gave him a squeeze out and he just came back so beautifully underneath me.
“He just travelled sweet, I got cover and I was where I wanted to be. They just ran along like I knew they would being a big race, and everything just panned out perfect.
“I went over the line; I knew I had the two inside me beat. I knew I had the favourite beat by a good half head.
“I wasn’t 100 per cent sure but I had a real good feeling I had it won.”
There were only millimetres in it at the finishing post, with Mr Attitude narrowly edging out $3.60-favourite Ozark (Jared Wehlow) with long shots Hanover Square and Easy Weekend finishing in a dead heat for third.
It was one of the most exciting finishes to a Cleveland Bay Handicap, and one that Vale won’t soon forget.
“I was standing past the post and thought I had gotten beaten half a neck.
“I was very surprised,” he said.
“He is not a hard horse to train, he is actually pretty fit. We actually haven’t done much with him since his Mackay Newmarket win.
“He basically did it all himself today. He usually gets a lot of luck in his races, but today he had none and he still won.
“(It was a) beautiful ride.”