On the day the world’s best sprinter won yet again, Rain Affair proved he he was on the top rung of the next best with victory in the Expressway Stakes at Rosehill.
The four-year-old led all the way to beat a field of Group One p
Rain Affair winning the 2012 Expressway Stakes with ease - Photo by Steve Hart
erformers and while he won’t be taking on Black Caviar, no others hold any fears for trainer Joe Pride.
Saturday’s Expressway (1200m) was Rain Affair’s first Group Two race and his display of controlled speed suggested Group One glory was not far away.
And it could come in the nation’s premier sprint, the Newmarket Handicap, next month.
“It’s fantastic but he needed to beat those horses the way he did on the slow track,” Pride said.
“I wouldn’t expect it to be so easy on a dry track. I’d still expect him to win but he got conditions to suit.
“He is a great horse and he is the toughest little bugger there is.
“Any other horse after the barrier trial he had the other week would have laid down for a week but not him. He’s arrogant.
“I’d like to step him up to 1400 metres in the Apollo Stakes in two weeks against the same horses and then go to Melbourne for the Newmarket.”
The $1.45 favourite, Rain Affair ambled to the front and went at a pace comfortable for him, not so comfortable for the rest.
Last year’s Expressway winner Centennial Park ($18) stuck to his task to finish four lengths second with Shoot Out ($9) an encouraging run-on third for new trainer Chris Waller, another half-head away.
Although Rain Affair was expected to win by everyone including his trainer, Pride admitted to a few nerves until the final 200 metres.
“You know what they can do but they have to do it,” he said.
Owner-breeder Don Storey was even more tense although he has experienced many great moments in racing, particularly with horses he raced with the late Jack Ingham.
“I was very nervous,” Storey said.
“I’ve been racing horses for 45 or 50 years but this one is the most brilliant.
“He just comes out and goes.”
In contrast to Pride and Storey, Rain Affair was the most relaxed he has ever been for jockey Corey Brown.
“He was perfect today,” Brown said.
“The more mature he gets the better he gets.”
Rain Affair has now won nine from 10 with his only defeat coming at his second start when he was galloped on during the race.
Dual Group One winner Rangirangdoo trailed in last of the nine runners but fears something had gone amiss with the injury-prone gelding were allayed by trainer Chris Waller.
“He’s pulled up fine,” Waller said.
“We’ll look at him over the next week but there don’t appear to be any problems.”
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