Hursley has snapped a run of second placings with a victory at Caulfield
The Chris Waller-trained Hursley has snapped a run of second placings with a victory at Caulfield.
But only just.
The four-year-old gelding took until his final stride of Saturday’s Chandler Macleod Handicap (2000m) to get his nose in front, chasing down Overberg to win by a short half-head.
Hursley ($5) had finished second at his previous four starts, while Saturday’s success was his first since the final weekend of last season.
Waller’s Melbourne stable representative Johanne Taylor admitted she was worried that Hursley was going to have to settle for yet another runner-up finish after Overberg sprinted to the lead passing the 200m.
“I certainly thought so,” Taylor said.
“I almost had the wind taken out of my sails. On the line I wasn’t sure whether we got it or not so when the photo came up, I was ecstatic.
“He always seemed to find one better on the day in his last four starts but he’s as honest as the day is long and it’s certainly good to see him rewarded today.”
While Taylor might have been concerned, jockey Daniel Stackhouse said had been confident he was going to be able to reel in Overberg after Hursley got into the clear.
“I thought I was always going to get there, it was just a matter of when,” Stackhouse, who brought up his first winner for Waller, said.
“He took a lot of riding, but once he got out and wound up he picked the other horse up.”
