Craig Williams attention to detail helped him make no mistake in snaring a new million-dollar event in winning the Thoroughbred Club Stakes at Caulfield worth seven figures for the first time.
Three-year-old sprinting fillies have previously not had to chance to win a race of such value post-Melbourne Cup Carnival during the same springtime, and the increase in prizemoney for the Group 3 1200-metre event moved from October to November.
Trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman, Inkaruna ($5) won by 1½-lengths over the Annabel and Rob Archibald-trained Kujenga ($41) with $1.90 race favourite My Gladiola in third.
“She stood well in the gates, got a nice start, was able to control where I wanted to,” Williams said.
“She was a little bit on the bridle and had a nice smooth run (and) the blinkers have worked really well.
“I had the right horse to win a million-dollar race here.”
Inkaruna capped her preparation after a second placing to the smart Point Barrow at Flemington ten days earlier.
“The grey My Gladiola, the top weight was the horse we all had to beat – she’s a superstar but we had to just go out there and ride our own race,” Williams added.
“I spoke to Sam this morning at depth about what we want to do with her.
“The first part was get her out nice and clean.
“We got into a nice rhythm, had the right horse to follow into the race, and then she was a really good and strong late.”
Jamie Mott said that My Gladiola may have come to the end of the preparation as the filly seemed flatter in the run to the line than her previous outings.
