Angel Capital finally has got the Group 1 monkey off his back claiming the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield.
Beaten into fourth place as the $2.90 favourite in last year’s 1400m race, Angel Capital righted that wrong under a brilliant ride from Ben Melham.
Overhauling last year’s Sir Rupert Clarke winner Sepals ($11) in the last 100m, Angel Capital ($5) went on to score a three-quarter-of-a-length win.
Early leader Regal Award ($9.50) was a long-neck away third.
Angel Capital started his career with Clinton McDonald at Cranbourne before being purchased by Yulong and transferred into the care of Chris Waller.
The Waller team had been considering a start in next Sunday’s Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield but switched their attention to Saturday’s race when Angel Capital appeared so well handicapped.
Former champion jockey Darren Beadman, representing the Waller stable, said it was a relief to finally see Angel Capital attain Group 1 status.
“He’s been unlucky so many times in Group 1’s,” Beadman said.
“He’s been deserving of the Group 1 win for so many runs and the way this track panned out today with a good, a strong speed up front, and Ben has the utmost faith in the horse, he rode him to perfection.”
Beadman said Melham had been instrumental in getting Angel Capital to finally attain the Group 1 success.
Melham did a lot of the early work on Angel Capital when he was in the care of McDonald.
“He’s shown a lot of faith and confidence in the horse,” Beadman said.
“There wouldn’t be too many jockeys that would have the key to unlock the gift that he’s got, the horse.
“Benny’s riding in career best form and looks strong and fit.”
Melham had been praising Angel Capital’s ability from the first time he sat on the horse.
He rode the now five-year-old to victory in the McKenzie Stakes at Moonee Valley and Caulfield Guineas Prelude as a three-year-old, but after Angel Capital moved to Waller’s yard, had only reunited with him on a few occasions, including in Group 1 placings in the C F Orr Stakes and the Newmarket Handicap last season.
“We’ve sort of praised his ability from day dot,” Melham said.
“I just knew today that it’s the first time he’s been in a suitable race where I thought everything would go to plan with the right conditions.
“Then we got here this morning, and they cut the track in half.
“Honestly, he needs all the track he can get, so I wasn’t too happy about that, but we found a race with good speed.
“He got into a good rhythm, and obviously Chris is a master at setting these horses for these races.
“He looked a picture in the yard when I got on him, he gave a little pig root going out on the track and then he just rolled to the barriers beautifully in the zone.
“The ability’s never been the question with him. He’s a very good colt, as you’ve seen there today, but he’s just so big and he’s such a brute.
“He’s not an easy horse to ride, but when things go his way, you’ve seen what he can do.”
