Kolding beat off a late charge from Te Akau Shark to win the $1m G1 TAB Epsom (1600m) with three lengths back to the third placed Star Of The Seas.
Glen Boss (Kolding): “You always have plans, there is A, B and C, but it’s just about trusting the animal really. He was very good, that was soft, when he got clear he loafed and when Te Akau Shark came up to him he surged. Another furlong and he wouldn’t have been beaten. I just couldn’t believe how easily that mapped out. Got into a perfect spot, they really backed off from the 1000m to the 600m, but he was in such a great spot.
“It’s been a long while since I’ve had a race where at no stage did I feel like I was going to get beat. In the Doncaster last year on Brutal it was the same sort of scenario.
Nash Rawiller (Dreamforce): “He found a pretty good rhythm mid-race, but he was obviously below his best today. He’s had a couple of tough runs, wait and see how he comes through it.”
Tommy Berry (Best Of Days): “Had a beautiful run, followed the winner, felt like I was going to be right in the finish coming to the corner but he was very plain.”
Tim Clark (Fifty Stars): “Thought he ran well, just got shuffled back sort of mid stages but finished off okay.”
James McDonald (Te Akau Shark): “Huge run, very proud of his effort. I thought he was the winner for sure. I still can’t believe he got beat. He felt brilliant and tried very hard, great effort.”
Brenton Avdulla (Gem Song): “He ran well, he ran as I expected him to. Probably gets a bit more luck and he ran third, didn’t disgrace himself.”
Jay Ford (Unforgotten): “She was disappointing, she had a smooth run in transit, followed the back of Gem Song. Just failed to let down today.”
Dean Holland (Mr Marathon Man): “Just over-raced too much, he finished off okay considering.”
Andrew Adkins (Mantastic): “Landed in a nice spot, travelled well, thought he was going to run into it, but he was a little disappointing late.”
Kerrin McEvoy (Rock): “He presented up behind them at the corner, just the ground might have gone against him a little bit today.”
Dom Tourneur (Archedemus): “Didn’t appreciate being inside of Nash’s mount up front there, need a bit more room. But in saying that probably a little bit too deep for him.”
Jess Taylor (Le Juge): “He travelled well, but he’s just not quite up to them.”
Michael Dee (Star Of The Seas): “Very happy with the run, we were able to get a lovely run from the awkward alley, just the first two home were just a little bit too good for me, but still boxed on well.”
Robbie Dolan (Cascadian): “He jumped a little bit better today, he brought me into the race well, he’s just a little bit reluctant in among horses like that, you’ll see the best of him when he’s able to get to the outside of horses.”
Ben Thompson (Nettoyer): “Brilliant, she finished off great. Considering the way the race was run, it made us hard for us backmarkers, she was brilliant.”
Andrew Gibbons (Kaonic): “Pass mark, he’s just flopping out of the gates and giving himself too big a task.”
Brock Ryan (The Candy Man): “It was a good run, he stepped up to Group 1 for the first time and had a bit of a tough run from the barrier, but I think you’ll see the best of him on a wet track out to 2000m in that grade.”
James Innes Jnr (Desert Lord): “He ran okay we ended up in a nice enough spot, he had a nice enough passage if good enough, but I think he shows more of a turn of foot on a firmer surface.”
Damien Thornton (Junipal): “Wanted to be positive from the gate with the lightweight, but it just backfired he wanted to over-do it. Loomed into it, but just got tired.”
