Owners Kerry and Jennifer Pooley celebrated a winning double in 24 hours with full brothers when Great Heart added to his city record to boost trainer Chris Waller’s Sydney premiership chances at Warwick Farm.
Key West left his mark on the two-day Scone Cup carnival with a barnstorming win on Saturday before his younger sibling Great Heart followed suit in the Calcoup Knitwear Handicap (1200m) on Sunday.
“The pressure was on this bloke after Key West won but he came through,” Kerry Pooley said of the Tale Of The Cat siblings.
Great Heart and Key West are out of Floridays, a city-winning mare for the Pooleys who has also produced open class galloper Altered Boy.
They are all trained by Waller, the Sydney premiership frontrunner who said he called on some inside knowledge of Great Heart’s family to help the three-year-old make it two wins from seven starts.
“Obviously he is well related but like his brothers he’s got a few tricks,” Waller said.
“We found that they appreciate being ridden quietly. They can produce a strong finish ridden that way.”
Giving leading jockey Hugh Bowman a race-to-race double, Great Heart, a $12 to $7.50 firmer, stormed home from near the back of the field to beat stablemate Madam Nash ($13) by a neck.
Dollhouse, favourite in an open betting race at $4.40, held down third, three-quarters of a length further back.
“When I pulled him out to make his run he was going to win for sure but then I doubted him for a moment,” Bowman said.
Now a 14-year-old, Floridays also has colts by Dylan Thomas and Fastnet Rock waiting to make it to the races but the Pooleys are keen for her to produce a filly to continue the family line.
“Floridays has had six colts so far and we’re desperate for a filly,” Jennifer said.
Waller, who will saddle up Doomben Cup favourite My Kingdom Of Fife in Brisbane on Saturday, is also focusing on a breakthrough Sydney premiership win.
Consistent galloper Anything did his bit to keep Waller’s premiership challengers at bay with a determined win in the Marsdens Law Group Handicap (1600m).
Anything emerged with a hardluck tale from his previous start when jockey Josh Parr lost his irons soon after the start.
But he made amends in a nail-biting finish after Tim Clark used his initiative to have the gelding parked on the speed.
In a stirring duel, Anything outpointed Kontiki Park after they singled out from their rivals.
“He probably raced a bit closer than we thought but that’s how it worked out and he was able to tough it out,” Clark said.
AAP TURF
