Hugh Bowman will miss the Caulfield Guineas meeting on Saturday due to suspension but showed why he has earned high praise so far this spring with a winning treble at Canterbury on Wednesday.
Bowman started a careless riding suspension after Wednesday’s meeting but went out on a good note with victories on Shuswap, Savannah’s Choice and the impressive first starter Said Com.
Bowman, who took over at the top of the Sydney premiership with his treble, got the day off on the right note on Shuswap in the Follow Rosehill Gardens On Facebook Handicap (1550m).
The Bart Cummings-trained Shuswap was dropping back to maiden class having raced in the Group Two Tea Rose Stakes against the Bowman-ridden Streama at her previous start.
The top hoop quickly made it a double when Said Com scored a most impressive debut win in the second race of the day.
“Shuswap was coming back in grade and going by her form she looked like a good thing today,” Bowman said.
“I thought she was definitely my best ride today, but it would appear now that the second one (Said Com) was. He was ultra-impressive.”
Bowman was rapt with the Chris Waller-trained three-year-old, who sat in behind the speed and then raced clear in the straight to win the @rosehillgardens On Twitter Handicap (1250m) by 2-1/4-lengths.
“The last horse that gave me a feel like that was Do You Think,” Bowman told Waller after Said Com’s win.
Do You Think scored under lights at Canterbury on debut in March, defeating Manawanui, before winning the Group Three Schweppervesence (1400m) at Rosehill at his next start.
Said Com’s debut was a welcome tonic for Waller who announced on Wednesday that Group One winner My Kingdom Of Fife was out of the Cox Plate and the remainder of the spring carnival.
“We paid good money ($290,000) for him at the New Zealand sales and we always thought he goes quite well,” Waller said of Said Com.
“He’s always shown us a lot of ability at home but still does a few things wrong and was still soft today having only had one trial.”
Savannah’s Choice’s first-up victory in the Ascot Club Handicap (1550m) made it a treble for Bowman and also a double for Waller.
Bowman misses the ride on Lion Tamer in Saturday’s Caulfield Stakes following his suspension incurred at Flemington last Sunday and returns for Caulfield Cup day on Saturday week.
Nash Rawiller didn’t ride at Wednesday’s meeting due to a back complaint which also kept him out of Monday’s Warwick Farm meeting.
AAP TURF
