Odds-on favourite Best Tothelign gave a few anxious moments to his backers and connections at both ends of the $60,000 Class 4 race over 1200m on Sunday, but was able to get the job done in the end.
The first scare came when the Shane Baertschiger-trained Align four-year-old was slow into stride at the start. He was not out of the woods yet, even after he improved to be midfield as such early exertions can take its toll eventually, but when he came with a sweeping run to pounce to the lead upon straightening for jockey John Powell, those who took him at the prohibitive odds of $6 could breathe easier.
But more heart flutters were in store when Angry Cat (A’Isisuhairi Kasim) jumped out of the ground at the 200m to lay down the law. Best Tothelign hung in as best as he could with the winning post coming to his rescue as he fell in by half-a-length. You Da One (Alan Munro) ran third another 2 ¼ lengths away. The winning time was 1min 12.21secs for the 1200m on the Polytrack.
While some thought the early effort spent playing catch-up accounted for the dwindling margin at the end, Powell rubbished those theories.
“Whichever position I put him, he would have won the same way,” said the experienced Australian jockey.
“Yes, he was a little slow out of the gates, but I didn’t have to use him up to get back in the race. He just did it within his own steam.
“The thing about this horse is he has a short burst and that’s exactly how he ran in the home straight. Shane did tell me I had to get going at the top of the straight and that’s what I did and it’s all worked out good in the end.”
Baertschiger certainly had nothing to complain about Powell’s ride, well aware that the MA Racing Stable-owned galloper cannot sustain a long run.
“JP’s always told me that if you sit too long on him, he doesn’t find,” said the Australian conditioner.
“He’s got a short sprint and that’s probably why he was shortening late, but luckily we got there in the end.
“He was second-up and he was a lot fitter for the run after he ran second at his first run.”
Baertschiger watched his three-year-old Atmosphere run in the Group 1 AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington the day before. There was to be no joy unfortunately, even with the assistance of Joao Moreira in the irons, as the son of Savabeel could only finish 10th to Preferment, but Baertschiger was not all that disappointed.
“He pulled up sore. We’ll put him away and bring him back for the autumn,” he said.
