Young apprentice Tyler Schiller has celebrated his first Saturday metropolitan double with a barnstorming victory aboard Eleven Eleven in the inaugural running of The Warra.
Schiller, who posted an earlier win for his boss Mark Newnham on Dragonstone, appeared a forlorn chance to grab another when he found himself a long way back on Eleven Eleven in the 1000 metre sprint.
But the Gregory Hickman-trained gelding’s class shone through as Schiller produced him with a stunning turn of foot to chase down Malkovich and score.
“It was hard enough to get the first one and to get a double today is really special,” Schiller said.
“They were humming along early and I was panicking a bit thinking I was too far out the back.
“But he just kept tracking into it and when I got him into clear running, he showed an enormous turn of speed and he ran them down pretty comfortably.”
Hickman confirmed Eleven Eleven would have his next start in the Listed Razor Sharp Handicap (1200m) at Randwick on December 11 before making his annual trip to Queensland for the Magic Millions carnival.
The Gold Coast race day has been a happy hunting ground for Eleven Eleven, who finished second past the post in the 2020 Guineas but was later promoted to first with the disqualification of Alligator Blood, before claiming the Cup earlier this year.
If he can add another Magic Millions victory to his resume, he will join Invincibella as the only three-time winner at the carnival.
The trainer, who also had Our Bellagio Miss in Saturday’s race, said he didn’t give Eleven Eleven much chance in the run.
“I just didn’t pick him up in the running at all,” Hickman said.
“I was trying to watch the other filly because I thought she was going to come home a bit better than she did, and he was just back doing nothing but he hit the line super.
“It could be one of his better wins.”
Eleven Eleven ($7.50) scored by a neck over Malkovich ($2.35 fav) with Wisdom Of Water ($31) another three-quarters of a length away.
