Trainer and jockey quotes after the ATA Celebrates Women Trainers Handicap at Flemington on Saturday taken out by Furrion.
Race Result:
1st: Furrion (D Bates/L Smith) - $5
2nd: Dr Drill (M Lloyd/C Maher & D Eustace) - $17
3rd: Orleans Rock (B Prebble/P Preusker) - $11
Winning Time: 2:05.03 Last 600m: 36.17
Margins: Head x 1-1/4L
How tough is Furrion!?
— Racing.com (@Racing) July 17, 2021
He gets back into the winner's stall after claiming the 2019 Warrnambool Cup.@LSmithRacing @decbates pic.twitter.com/NT7DhpOZTw
Winning Trainer: Lindsey Smith
Thoughts on Declan Bates' ride aboard Furrion: "I think Gerry (Ryan) might have to give him a new caravan for that one because the ride won the race. He got off the favourites' back at the right time. The leader tried to stack them up and I think the leader collapsed a little bit. It was a good ride and it won the race.
Thoughts on the closing stages: "He hasn't won for a while so it was good the competition (Dr Drill) was there to keep him going. Horses do get confidence, that's a good thing for him. He has come from a long way back this horse.
"He likes the beach and we'll just keep him down there.
Future plans: "I'm just happy to get this out of the way. There is another 2000m race at Moonee Valley coming up. I think we just savour the moment. It is good to have back and it is good to have a winner for these owners in those colours.
Winning Jockey: Declan Bates
"We found a good spot on the fence which was fine and I was happy enough to follow Craig Williams' horse (Vegas Knight). He towed me into it. My horse was always travelling well but the opportunity came for me to come out into the three-wide line and I decided to take that up when it came because he like to build into his races and he was always going to go close."
Found when he had Dr Drill for company: "He did. He quickened up nice at the top of the straight and the second horse came at me like he was going to go by me, but when he felt it coming, he did enough to hold it off. So it was pretty good."
"I want to give a shout-out to my daughter, it's her birthday today, her second birthday. Her and her mother Jen are stuck at home under lockdown for her birthday."
Robert Hickmott on Schabau
"Happy. We didn't know where his fitness levels were at under race pressure, but he hit the line nicely, but he did a few things wrong, wanting to lay-in up the straight.
"It's not soreness, it's probably a few little habits that he has formed when he was a colt.
"He was unbelievable today. He saddled up great, presented well in the mounting yard and I couldn't be happier with that side of it.
"Jack (Hill) said may go with a more severe hanging bit and maybe a one-eyed blinker just to straighten him up.
"He said if he goes straight, he would have won, I don't know about that, but it was a lovely return and he will derive a lot of benefit out of that."
