Cyber Attack heading for the top
Likely route is either the Ryder Stakes or the Wanganui Guineas
Completely ignore two things about juvenile Cyber Attack’s destruction of the opposition at Te Rapa on Saturday.
The first is that there were only six opponents, mostly with less experience than the winner. The second is that this was achieved on a slow midwinter surface.
Embrace only one obvious factor — Cyber Attack is headed right to the top.
The two and three-quarter winning margin is fine, but generally seen as less than a total destruction. Make no mistake that’s exactly what it was.
The margin could have been greater, but Vinnie Colgan, as he’s good at doing, was teaching Cyber Attack a thing or two in the home straight once the race had been put beyond doubt.
Which is a good thing. Cyber Attack is not a dumb learner, he’s simply a slowish learner, typical of the Zabeel blood injected by his granddam Zalinka. And that’s another reason why this youngster is heading places — Zabeel blood can be good at two and if it is, it’s generally outstanding at three and four.
And here’s another reason to point to massive improvement — Cyber Attack’s dam Marechal is a half sister to Humidor, winner of four from nine here before a majority share was sold to clients of Darren Weir in Australia. So far Humidor has picked up A$2.8 million from Group Ones the Australian Cup and the Makybe Diva and got the closest all season to Winx in finishing a close-up second in the Cox Plate.
Humidor took his time finding his true potential, which makes Cyber Attack’s juvenile form exceptionally promising. “He’s still learning,” said Colgan on Saturday and that was obvious the way he broke clear of the opposition with a blinding sprint in the home straight.
At this point there is not a lot of Cyber Express, but trainer Tony Pike says he has noticed some growing even with the youngster in work.
Pike and his owners have not yet settled on the path ahead, but the likely route is either the Ryder Stakes or the Wanganui Guineas. “The Ryder is run this year at Manawatu and when you look how difficult that track was yesterday, it’s hard to be keen on running him around in those conditions.”
The runner up, Verry Elleegant made good late ground on debut. Zed doesn’t produce too many that shine at two and this could be a very promising type.
● Horse racing is not for sissies. It’s a tough game and frustrations can run high immediately following a race.
If a certain level of potty mouth latitude should be displayed Sydney stewards were not buying into it after Kathy O’Hara won the last at Randwick on Saturday, the Mayor’s Cup.
Stewards inquired into a couple of issues during the race and asked O’Hara to explain a couple of issues. She felt she was about to be charged with something that was not her fault and as she left the room was overheard saying: “This is a f ****** joke.” Stewards found no fault with the race, but charged O’Hara with misconduct and imposed a A$1000 fine, A$500 suspended for 12 months on a good behaviour agreement.
“It’s unacceptable and I apologised,” she told Racenet.
Wouldn’t a quiet word in an ear later be a better way of resolving such things?