The Mackay Cup is staying at home after the Lachie Manzelmann stable landed a popular home-town victory in the $150,000, 2000m showpiece with the bang-in-form seven-year-old gelding Journalism coming up trumps in a pressurised finish.
The son of I Am Invincible had won three races, and finished second twice, in his last seven starts but that, and not even a home-ground advantage where he has done some of his best work, could convince bookmakers of the threat he posed as he was marked up at a very generous starting price of $14.
Jumping from a number two barrier draw, Sewell was patient early, settling Journalism on the rail in midfield, some eight lengths off the lead for the first half of the race. Approaching the home turn, Sewell had Journalism, who was travelling well, leave the rail to corner two to three wide to ensure he would not get caught behind tiring horses along the inside when the race went on in the home straight.
With 250m left to run, after briefly being held up, Journalism took a gap on the inside of the $11 chance Smart Legend who had been up with the speed throughout and who was now trying to make a winning play early in the straight.
Journalism had hit the front in the final chase to the line, but when Sewell dropped his whip at the 100m … whether that was the reason for the chase intensifying or not … Smart Legend, to his absolute credit, started to come back strongly at the Manzelmann-trained runner … and he now had Odegaard ($6) in tow, also running on strongly.
The result, with Journalism holding a 0.17-length winning margin at the line, highlighted the intensity of the team effort.
Manzelmann produced Journalism ‘spot on’ for the task at hand, Sewell’s ride was punctuated with several decisions that influenced the positive outcome … and Journalism came to the party, responding to each directive and putting in a shift on a level where nobody could have asked for more.
The Stephen Massingham-trained Smart Legend may have deserved better for his bold on-pace and fast-finishing effort, but he had to settle for second place ahead of the Joshua Manzelmann-trained Odegaard who finished a close-up third, 0.82 lengths back, without actually troubling the winner.
The same can be said of the $3.90 favourite Keitel who finished a further length back in fourth place without ever seriously firing a shot.
