Progressive galloper Testa My Patience will get his Group One chance in the Emirates Stakes at Flemington after claiming his first feature win in the Crystal Mile at Moonee Valley.
Ridden by Craig Newitt on Saturday, the five-year-old suggested he was up to the top class milers when he powered home to win the Group Two race by 1-1/2 lengths from Darwin Cup winner Hawks Bay and He’s Remarkable.
Testa My Patience was nominated for Sunday’s Sale Cup (1600m) but trainer Mick Price decided that with 53.5kg he was weighted to go well at the Valley.
“He is one of those geldings on the way up and I thought there were a few in the race today whose best was probably behind them,” Price said.
The consistent Testa My Patience has raced 14 times, missing a top three finish only once.
He was a last start winner at Caulfield over 1400 metres but he raced in blinkers for the first time on Saturday after track rider Kylie Schultz noticed a quirk with the gelding in training.
“It is probably a bit unusual to put blinkers on them after they win but Kylie noticed that after pulling down to a canter at the end of his work, he wasn’t trotting off but stopping on a five cent piece and wanted to go home,” Price said.
“I couldn’t find anything wrong with him but I didn’t like that attitude and didn’t want to be talking about it after a $200,000 race so we worked him in the blinkers and put them on today.
“It might have made a difference but how do you know?”
Price said Testa My Patience had earned his crack at the Emirates Stakes (1600m) in two weeks.
“He will get well weighted and he might find it the right race at right time,” Price said.
AAP TURF
