Find out what the jockeys made of their mounts after the Group 1 $600,000 Schweppes All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick.
James McDonald (Cascadian): “Barrier one was an absolute blessing, but in saying that he was in the barriers a long time and he’s always a mid to back runner. He jumped well, but he just come out a bit sluggish for the next 100m, so I actually had to make him, rub him into a spot and then he traveled up. I was impressed with the way he bridled up from the 600m to the 400m where horses have been struggling all day and he scooted through it.
“When I was actually peeling off Nash’s back (rider of the third horse Ellsberg) I could see Tofane. I had a few lengths to make up, but I thought Tofane might’ve been suspect at that last little bit and I’d really started rattling home 100m from home. I knew if something was finishing down the outside it had to be good. Very proud of the horse, what a training performance.
“I’m just so proud of that horse. He’s a tried and true performer, he just arrives on the big days. Great training feat obviously 2000m (to the) mile (to the) 1400m all the way back, normally it’s the other way round so it’s a huge performance. Very proud of that horse he’s been up and just doing it the whole time, it’s incredible.
“I was very happy, in saying that a long way off the speed. They actually went a pretty good gallop there and the way he bridled from the 600m to the 400m was just really impressive. He was going to be fighting it out, it was just whether Tofane stole a break.”
Mark Zahra (Tofane): “Super run, brave on the speed. Gave a good kick and just run down by something with an easier run.”
Nash Rawiller (Ellsberg): “He went super. Really good effort.”
Tommy Berry (Mo’unga): “Track was too shifty for him. He travelled OK but has travelled a lot better in other races.”
Sam Clipperton (Kolding): “Just hates that surface.”
Damian Lane (Zoutori): “Ran honest as always.”
Rachel King (Laws Of Indices): “Really good run. Crying out for a good track.”
William Pike (Olmedo): “He actually ran quite well.”
Hugh Bowman (Forbidden Love): “I think she’s ready for a spell.”
John Allen (Sierra Sue): “Stepped slowly but never really handled the conditions after that.”
Brenton Avdulla (Shout The Bar): “She travelled OK to the corner but struggled in the ground.”
Kerrin McEvoy (Hungry Heart): “She ran well. It’s not her ground but will take nice improvement, up in trip and off to Brisbane.”
Tim Clark (In The Congo): “Really struggled on that ground today. Wants a firm deck.”
Josh Parr (Overpass): “At the end of his prep now.”
