View the comments from all of the jockeys from the Caulfield Cup which was run on Saturday 21st October.
Winning Jockey: Mark Zahra
On the right horse: “It is good when you have the results at the end but you have to choose them beforehand.
“What a moment. I’m so happy.
“I don’t really celebrate much but with the week I’ve had and the things that have gone on, I was has to kick myself in the ribs – my wife did it for me early in the week – and said just focus on the ride we’ve got and its a good chance.
“Had a beautiful run and he did the rest.”
From the barrier: “I just wanted to have him switched off and in a good rhythm. I just put him to sleep. I saw Gold Trip trying to get outside of me early so I thought I’d like to hold him out three-deep but I needed to focus on my horse.
“I just found the rail and I cruised along beautifully. The speed was very good which suited him and I thought they’d fall in a heap so I made my way to get out.
“Jamie Spencer, one of my best mates, he actually put a couple of lengths on me around the bend. I just struggled around the bend a little bit.
“Then when I flattened out in the straight, gee he was game. He wanted to win.
Is Without A Fight a Melbourne Cup horse: “You’ve got to have a crack. That was second-up from a spell. A great training performance from the Freedmans to get him right today so you think there’s got to be a little bit of improvement.
“The way he switched off this prep, in Brisbane I thought he won’t run past 2000-metres so I said send him to the Cox Plate.
“He just came back so much more relaxed so you’ve got to have a crack.”
24 hours before vet inspection: “I had to give myself an uppercut, I reckon, about Thursday. I didn’t sleep Wednesday night just thinking about, it was like someone stealing your missus. Someone else getting the ride on Gold Trip, and I was just a bit shattered.
“I thought, fuck, he’s my horse, I won the Melbourne Cup on him and I have a great bond with him. A bit of an emotional bond I don’t have with any other horse, Gold Trip.
“When I wasn’t on him and on Thursday I thought, what are you doing? You picked this horse (Without A Fight) and I said to Sam Freedman after the last start that he’ll win the Caulfield Cup.
“I said it was time to stop worrying about Gold Trip and time to focus on Without A Fight. Then the vet stuff came up but I was always confident that he would pass because Sam and Anthony said (he would) and he’s just a lazy trotter.
“By Friday I was finally right. I went through the form with Mark Hunter and we sorted it out. I got the spot I wanted and he was too strong.”
Beaten Jockeys:
Ben Melham (Gold Trip): “Terrific. He had a lovely run, he was just really made to carry that weight with the frantic speed, it never let up. I had the chances, 1-2 just in front of me and four or five kilos in the end was the finish, I sort of presented off the back of West Wind Blows, I made ground inside Zahra there, he’s come from behind me and beaten me so… the horse is going terrific moving forward, whether they go to the Cox Plate or Melbourne Cup, especially the Melbourne Cup the horse couldn’t be in any better order.”
Damian Lane (Breakup): “Had a great run, travelled lovely, maybe a touch close to that brutal speed. Presented well, maybe just a few sharper than him today. He’ll be better for further and bigger circuit at Flemington.”
Blake Shinn (Montefilia): “I just think she was a bit dashed at that tempo, she came off the bridle a long way out and therefore didn’t have any stamina at the end.”
James McDonald (Francesco Guardi): “He was back with all the eventual winners and placegetters came from and he made no inroads, very disappointing.”
Jamie Spencer (West Wind Blows): “What can I say? He did everything right. He stepped slow away (which) probably helped him because they went fast fractions. Won the battle, lost the war.”
Craig Williams (Soulcombe): “Unfortunately that’s the worst he’s ever left the gates, he was really slow out. He’s back with the first four home over the line, they just sprinted faster than he did today.”
John Allen (Duke De Sessa): “We got a long way back from the gate, they did roll along at a good gallop, snuck a few runs around the corner but we were just chasing from a long way out, he ran okay.”
Tim Clark (Hoo Ya Mal): “Began really well and strode into a good, prominent position but he didn’t settle well enough throughout the race to finish off.”
Michael Dee (Right You Are): “Super. Had a nice run, he gave a good kick at the top of the straight and tried hard so a nice run.”
Jye McNeil (Emissary): “He didn’t pull up 100% so the stable will monitor him.”
Linda Meech (Goldman): “I was a bit disappointed, his work’s been great leading into it, just see what happens when the dust settles, I used him from the gate and probably took away my winning chance.”
Kerrin McEvoy (Okita Soushi): “He moved into it in behind them around the corner, at the 400 he was moving into it nicely, just levelled the last furlong so I’d say he’s going to tighten up through fitness for that run.”
Craig Newitt (Fame): “He was just outclassed.”
Winona Costin (Bois D’argent): “Big run, he travelled really nicely throughout and really got to the line. Very happy.”
Dean Yendall (Spirit Ridge): “I got free air out there, a good gallop in the lead obviously, no traffic at all, travelled into it comfortably, just found that pressure a little bit strong, I was happy with the run.”
Jamie Kah (Valiant King): “He was really good, he just needs a bigger track. We got going and we had to stop for a few strides and that just interrupted his run but he ran really well.”
Carleen Hefel (United Nations): “Really nice, from that gate we got a beautiful spot in the run, he travelled absolutely perfect, sort of got him out and rolling from the 800 and the others probably just had a better turn of foot but he’ll be better over further.”
