Tariki bounces back
|
Paul Hammersley sends Tariki to the line (Noel Pascoe photo)
|
Tariki picked up his biggest career win on the weekend for trainer Robert Bradshaw when he secured the C.E.B. Barnes Quality Handicap 2400m.
The six-year-old has started to pick up form of late scoring wins in his last two starts.
But jockey Paul Hammersley nearly made his move for the lead too early when Dream Gal (Danny Craven) picked up pace in the straight only to fall short by three-quarters of a length.
Pay Me (Christian Reith) finished a further two and a quarter lengths behind in third.
“Everything went according to plan. Maybe he got to the front a little bit too early when he sprinted,” Bradshaw said.
“The other horse (Dream Gal) was making ground up on him but on the line he was going as good as anything, he was getting away again.”
Early in the 2008/09 season Bradshaw had targeted the Cairns Cup but on arriving in the north Tariki (G6 Sandpit-Piece of Cake) hit a few hurdles.
“He found form a couple of months ago in a 2200m class 6 and the intention was to go back home to win the Cairns Cup but it took us longer to get up than anticipated and it just rained every day all the way,” Bradshaw said.
“When we got to Cairns it just kept raining, the horse couldn’t settle in and then he picked up a virus.
“It was a wet track on the day and I wanted to scratch him but we had come all the way up and we thought we’ve got to have a go now.
“The horse pulled up really bad so I got him back to Brisbane and got him over his travel sickness and the virus and got him right.”
On resuming Tariki began to pick up form running in an open company race a length behind the winner to finish sixth.
“His next start was in a 2000m race and he came from last on the corner and ran fourth. It was an enormous effort,” Bradshaw said.
“And then we went up to the 2200m and he was getting up in distance and was fit.
“Everything was falling into place and that day Paul (Hammersley) just rode a perfect race and he won.
“I said to Paul he’ll be spot on for the 2400m race. I said, I’ll be riding work myself and nobody else will be on him and he’ll be spot on for you.
“And then the rain came. It rained Wednesday and then Thursday night and I thought good heavens and then on the Friday the sun came out but it wasn’t a very good drying day but then the wind blew.
“I watched a few races from home and was checking for the mud on them and at that stage the track was drying out and I thought the track would be beautiful.
“I said to Paul we’re going to ride him different. You’ll find he’ll sprint at the end of the 2400m.”
Hammersley followed Bradshaw’s instructions to a tee and secured the feature race including the $48,000 winning cheque pushing his track earnings to over $171,000.
QUEENSLAND Racing web news: Claire Power – November 27
|
