Find out what the jockeys made of their mounts after the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington.
Craig Williams (Mr Brightside): “Thank God we don’t deal with paper but I went through my processes about resetting and doing all those things, they prepared a perfect horse, we had a lovely barrier draw, there’s still growth and development in him which is really scary for his opposition the way that he was today and the way he looks so he’s still got a bit more to come which is the exciting bit.”
Damien Oliver (Alligator Blood): “I thought he went great. He had a really comfortable lead in front, no pressure. He came up underneath me around the bend, gave a great kick, but the winner was just a bit too good.”
Luke Nolen (Spanish Mission): “Needed the gallop. He’ll take nice improvement from it.”
Michael Dee (Aegon): “He’s not showing that same sort of dash as what he did first-up, so I’m not sure what he does from here.”
Damian Lane (Francesco Guardi): “He went super. Obviously, it was just a very leisurely gallop today that first 1000 metres and they just ran home 600 (metres) basically. He quickened up as good as anything, but it was impossible to take any ground off the first few home because they quickened up and ran really good time. He was running strong through the line and he’s on track.”
Mark Zahra (Osipenko): “He ran a great race. It was good work through the line.”
Blake Shinn (Princess Grace): “She was honest. We rode her forward, rode her to win, but the other two were just a bit stronger and in the last 100 (metres) she was found wanting. She’s an interesting horse going forward, maybe she would be better off at 1400 (metres) ridden a little bit more quietly, but all-in-all, a good honest run.”
