No jockey enjoys losing but Jason Collet’s defeat on Aspiration Quality favourite Telepathic hurt more than most.
Collett turned down the winning ride on Adorabeel to stick with the Chris Waller-trained mare which followed the eventual winner throughout the race but couldn’t get past her.
Adorabeel
Sam Clipperton picked up the mount on Adorabeel to land his first stakes win for Joe Pride and he was well aware Collett was behind him in the run.
“I wasn’t going to let him past,” Clipperton said.
Adorabeel ($19) was tenacious in holding out the fast-finishing Entertains ($26) by a head with Intimate Moment ($21) another neck away, just ahead of the $2.60 favourite.
Pride won the same race with Sacred Choice in 2010, a year before she returned to win the Doncaster Mile, and he hoped Saturday’s Randwick race would also be a springboard to bigger things for Adorabeel.
“I don’t know if she’s a Scared Choice but she’s going to keep improving,” Pride said.
Adorabeel is likely to have one more run in the Epona Stakes at Rosehill in two weeks.
The mare was in good company at Randwick where she was accompanied by stablemate Terravista.
Pride said he brought the Group One winner along for the ride to give him a taste of race day before his clash with Lankan Rupee in next Saturday’s Newmarket Handicap at Flemington.
The disappointment of the Aspiration Quality was Solicit who led and compounded to finish last.
Trainer Gerald Ryan said the mare might now be retired.
