New Mandate has overcome the deteriorating track conditions at Hawkesbury to give the trainer-jockey combination of Chris Waller and Josh Parr their third win in the Listed Ladies Day Cup.
The race changed shape during the course of the afternoon when an electrical storm hit, resulting in the surface being downgraded to heavy and the race delayed by 40 minutes.
Parr said the wet conditions were his only worry but the horse was able to cope with them.
“That was my only concern,” Parr told Sky Thoroughbred Central.
“I was obviously confident coming here and the market suggested that, but then it rained.
“I wasn’t too sure what to think of his wet form but he got through it really well.
“The blinkers on were a great addition and I was quite happy with the run we had, it enabled us to get to the middle of the track.”
Waller and Parr have combined to win the Listed Ladies Day Cup (1500m) twice before with Tromso in 2013 and Strawberry Boy a year later.
Waller wasn’t on course, but stable representative Damien Fitton said Parr’s ride proved the difference as he was able to get New Mandate to relax.
“It was a very good ride by Josh. He just got some cover early, he’s a horse that can get a little bit keen,” Fitton said.
“He executed well and it was a matter of just putting him through his gears in the straight. He really attacked the line strongly, so that’s promising moving forward.”
The feature race victory continued Parr’s excellent run of form after he guided Japanese raider Obamburumai to an outstanding Golden Eagle win last Saturday.
New Mandate ($8) defeated a brave Jojo Was A Man ($3.60 fav) by a length with the winner’s stablemate Skyman ($6) another two lengths away third.
Fitton said Skyman might have just felt the pinch of his 60kg topweight.
“I actually thought at the top of the straight he was just going to burst through but maybe the 60 (kilos) got the better of him, and dropping back to 15 (1500 metres),” Fitton said.
