Auld Floozie repays faith

A decision to keep Thee Auld Floozie in training was richly rewarded at Ellerslie yesterday.

The six-year-old had been in indifferent form this preparation before the grey mare turned it around when overcoming a difficult run to successfully defend her crown in the Gr.2 Westbury Classic (1400m).

Thee Auld Floozie, winner of last season’s Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m), was ridden by top Sydney jockey Hugh Bowman.

Thee Auld Floozie raced wide just ahead of midfield and she finished gallantly in the run home to account for the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained stablemates Lizzie L’Amour and Coldplay.

The runner-up stormed home from well back in the field over a distance short of her best and Coldplay fought gamely to hold third from the southerner Montoya Star, who found the line strongly.

Meanwhile a lean and hungry Jake Bayliss was rewarded at Ellerslie for his belief.

The Australian jockey’s New Zealand stint gained further momentum on yesterday with Group Three wins in the Brighthill Farm Concorde Handicap (1200m) aboard Julius and the Windsor Park Stud City of Auckland Cup (2400m) with Charles Road.

“Getting down to 53kg is the bottom of the barrel for me, but I dug deep to get my weight down and it’s paid dividends – I knew they were very good rides,” Bayliss said.

Not the easiest horse to handle, Charles Road raced outside of the leader early in the running before settling just off the pace.

Charles Road ambled up to challenge about 300m from home before kicking clear to hold off the late run of Five To Midnight and Hugh Bowman to win for the fourth time in his 15-start career.

On Julius, Bayliss bided his time before angling into the clear on the point of the home bend. Bayliss said go at the 300m mark and the big fellow bounded clear to beat fast finishing Romancer.