The Citizen (Gauteng)

It’s Yes Yes Yes to R140 million

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- Coolmore's bid to land the A$14m (R140-million) The TAB Everest over 1200m with July Cup hero Ten Sovereigns may have backfired but the titan owners neverthele­ss returned to the winner's enclosure courtesy of the track record-breaking Yes Yes Yes.

Yes Yes Yes is part-owned by Coolmore and provided Chris Waller with his first victory in the world's richest turf race in the first year he saddled runners. The victory was also a special moment for the groom of Yes Yes Yes, Racing Post columnist Michael Channon jnr, who has spent the last 14 months working for Waller.

Ten Sovereigns failed to figure under Ryan Moore, trailing in last of the 12 runners.

An emotional Waller told 7 News: "That was a special performanc­e. "Where we have been with Winx has set us up to cope better with days like this. The Everest is a race people can relate to as they're familiar with every runner. These are the best sprinters in Australia."

Jockey Glen Boss enjoyed a hat-trick in the Melbourne Cup aboard star mare Makybe Diva between 2003 and 2005 and at the age of 50 celebrated another memorable day in the saddle.

Boss said: "It's a huge moment in my career and it's an amazing feeling – my body is on fire right now. He's a top-quality sprinter. He gave me goosebumps galloping him last week and today he gave me electric shocks."

Boss added to Sky Racing: "He has such a great turn of foot. I thought he had a fair bit to do as you can't give much ground away to these Group 1 sprinters but he flew home."

The winner's stablemate Nature Strip forced the pace alongside Sunlight and Yes Yes Yes had plenty of ground to make up in the home straight. Yes Yes Yes, the only three-year-old in the field, motored home in the final 200m to defeat favourite Santa Ana Lane and Trekking, while dual winner Redzel weakened out of contention after racing up with the pace.

Owner Brae Sokolski sold a half-share in Yes Yes Yes, previously trained by the disgraced Darren Weir, to Coolmore before the Golden Slipper in March and cannot believe the job Waller had done with his colt.

Sokolski told the Sydney Morning Herald: "Chris is phenomenal. Nothing flusters him and he's a brilliant horseman and businessma­n. That package is rare.

"He has got it right with this horse because we were happy to stay against the three-year-olds."

Sydney

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