Jockey Stephen Baster settled a debt dating back more than 20 years when he landed the Victoria Cup on former Darwin sprinter Canali at Caulfield.
Baster said he owed Canali’s trainer Stephen Brown for initially guiding his career and was thrilled to finally get a winner for his long time friend.
“He is a champion guy and organised for me to come from Brisbane to Melbourne so I owed him a winner,” Baster said.
“It is a big thrill.
“He pointed me in the right direction which helped because I was only 15 at the time. I hadn’t touched a horse and had no idea back then.”
Baster, 37, learned the basics at pony club with the help of Lindsay Hatch who is now the assistant trainer for Flemington trainer John Sadler but didn’t become an apprentice until he was indentured to Mark Riley in Melbourne.
Baster said he had a few opportunities to ride for Brown over time and finished second in a Macau Derby for him a few years ago.
He also got beaten in a photo finish on Canali two starts ago in the Listed Swisse Vitamins Stakes (1000m) at Flemington.
Last start Canali didn’t handle the wet track at Moonee Valley but he got the firmer conditions to suit on Saturday and was able to get a sit behind the leaders before producing a strong sprint in the straight.
He scored by a long neck from Catapulted and General Truce who was a half length away third.
“They had couple of lengths on him at one stage and he just cruised up when I wanted to and did everything right,” Baster said.
Brown trains 30 horses in Darwin but Canali is one of six horses he has brought to Melbourne for the late spring and summer.
He is temporarily based at David Hayes’ Flemington stables but hopes to sub-let boxes on a permanent basis for a satellite stable early next year.
He said Canali’s future was in Melbourne because of his lofty 99 rating which will rise again after Saturday’s win.
Canali has yet to win beyond 1100 metres but has been placed three times at 1200 metres including twice in Darwin’s feature short course event, the Palmerston Sprint.
Brown said the Group Three Standish Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on January 2 could be Canali’s next target.
“I don’t know if he is up to it but he finished off good today,” Brown said.
Canali was trained by Bart Cummings until two years when Brown bought him and he has since won races in Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Darwin.
Despite a winless record at 1200 metres, Baster believes the Exceed And Excel five-year-old races liked the distance should suit him.
“Honestly don’t think it would be an issue,” Baster said.
“He was pretty relaxed in the run today and was really strong to the line.”
AAP TURF
