A ground-saving ride by James McDonald has elevated the enigmatic Night’s Watch back into the winner’s list in the Group Three Neville Sellwood Stakes at Rosehill.
Starting $8.50, the six-year-old settled near the rear for McDonald, who was happy to bide his time before pinching runs along the inside and surging late to score by a long head over Aliferous ($6.50).
Shadow Flight ($16) ran the race of his life another short half-head away.
The victory was Night Watch’s first since taking out the 2018 Naturalism Stakes and trainer Chris Waller said the horse had been pleasing him on the training track but racing without luck.
“He has been going well enough, it’s just that things have been going against him,” Waller said.
“He’s not the best of beginners so when he gets back in the field it makes it very hard.
“But you just keep them interested and keep them happy and they put their heads in front occasionally.”
McDonald rode Night’s Watch when he finished runner-up in the Group One Toorak Handicap last spring and again at his first run this campaign when unplaced in the CF Orr Stakes.
He was happy to see the horse in the right frame of mind for Saturday’s 2000-metre race and relieved to help him get to the line first.
“Finally. He has owed me a few,” McDonald said.
“I’ve ridden him a few times and you just never know which day you’re going to get with him.
“He is always slow out, he doesn’t feel like he wants to be a part of it for the first half and even the majority of the second half.
“But he’s got plenty of ability and I think given the ground today, without it being too heavy, just helped him a little bit being an older horse and he did a good job.”
Night’s Watch gave McDonald a running double after taking out the Group Two Tulloch Stakes aboard Quick Thinker, who like Night’s Watch is syndicated by OTI Racing.
Terry Henderson, director of OTI, said Night’s Watch could back=up in the Doncaster Mile
“Chris may back him up in the Doncaster, especially if the track is the way it is today,” Henderson said.
“Usually in a Doncaster, the tempo is strong so if Chris said he wants to go to that race, we would go.”
Night’s Watch also holds a nomination for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes but Henderson says he is more likely to head to a lower-tier race like the JRA Plate (2000m) at Randwick on April 18.
