A plan to miss the autumn carnival with Motspur paid off for trainer Kris Lees when the eight-year-old scored a thrilling win in the $100,000 Scone Quality on Friday.
Motspur appeared late after Platinum Skye set a frantic tempo in front and the honest gelding arrived in time to overhaul Group One winner Atomic Force to win the 1100m sprint by half a head.
Platinum Skye kicked strongly around the turn to open a handy break but tired late to finish another length away in third with last year’s winner Border Rebel just behind the placegetters in fourth.
“He’s an old marvel this horse,” Lees said.
“We targeted this race with him. He was ready to go three weeks ago but we scratched him from the Hall Mark Stakes at Rosehill on the day because of a wet track and it’s paid off today.
“To get the win is very pleasing.”
Motspur scored a strong victory at Rosehill in January but after that race the decision was made not to press on to the autumn carnival.
Lees felt he would be better suited waiting for winter sprint races such as the Takeover Target Pacesetter Stakes (1200m) at Gosford and the Ramornie Handicap (1200m) at Grafton.
“We put him away after that to miss the better sprinters in the autumn because we wanted him for races through the winter like the Pacesetter and Ramornie,” the trainer said.
“He’ll probably run in the June Stakes at Randwick next.”
The Listed June Stakes (1100m) is on June 11.
Winning jockey Hugh Bowman sensed Motspur was ready to perform fresh when he saw the eight-year-old prior to the race.
“The race was run to suit him but he looked a picture in the yard,” Bowman said.
“That doesn’t always mean they are going to win but they went a good gallop and he let down well.”
Group One Galaxy winner Atomic Force carried 60.5kg and was courageous in defeat in his final start of a profitable campaign.
The Darren Smith-trained sprinter gave 4.5kg to the winner and was forced to chase the leader which told at the business end under the hefty impost.
“I couldn’t have been happier,” jockey Tim Clark said of Atomic Force.
“He had a big weight and the grey horse (Platinum Skye) made him chase a bit more than I wanted to. I didn’t want to go with it but I didn’t want to let it get too far away either.
“He was very courageous today.”
AAP TURF
