Mare‘s a sensation in Amateurs blast
VETERAN hoop Frank Edwards wound back the clock as he rolled into the clear in the Townsville Amateurs Cup.
The wily jockey put in a vintage display in the saddle, riding quietly for the first 1400m of the 2000m trip before clearing house at the home turn on board Sensation Ally.
The John Manzelmann-trained mare was given a late test on the line by a fast finishing Estikhraaj, but she found another gear under pressure to win by 0.2 lengths.
Veteran galloper Hunter Island, for Patrick O’toole, was another half-length third, while $3.90-favourite Astoria fell off the chase in the final 200m to be more than 1.5 lengths back at the post.
But it was a day that belonged to Edwards, who partnered the seven-year-old mare for the first time. It won’t be the last time if the veteran has his way.
“It certainly panned out the way I wanted it to. When John let me on the horse he suggested I be right off the pace and start rolling at the 600m, and that is exactly how it worked,” he said. “There was good early pace and I was able to tuck myself in behind the leaders; she was getting on to the steel at the 600m so I let her slide outside the two leaders, let her down and she did the rest of the work.
“I didn’t even have to ride her into the turn; she just grabbed hold of the steel and worked it nicely, which allowed me to really get stuck into her up the straight. She is a great staying mare and she proved that today.”
It was the first time the mare by Al Maher had been stepped out to the 2000m journey after showing form over the mile at Doomben last start.
It also made up for her last start second at Townsville, when she was rolled on the line by Sweet Perfume in the Fillies and Mares Bracelet on the opening day of the Townsville Turf Club winter carnival.
“We took her to Brisbane a fortnight ago; the run was really good but they went too hard in front,” Manzelmann said. “On the line she was doing better than any other horse in the race, so I thought we would have a throw at the stumps and step her up over 2000m, and it worked.
“That is the first time she has been there; she gave me that impression that she could run the trip.”
The Mackay trainer was forced to do a double take after he was convinced Estikhraaj had stolen the win from under their noses. But when the photo came out, there was no worrying otherwise.
“It happened the wrong way to me in the Cleveland Bay a couple of years ago when I thought I had won but didn’t,” he said.
Sensation Ally will likely back up over the 2200m in the Cairns Amateur Cup on September 14.