The addition of blinkers on the Chris Waller-trained Roots in the Hot Danish Stakes has proven to be a winning move.
After finishing second last in the $2 million The Invitation at Randwick last start, a decision was later made to apply blinkers to the well-performed five-year-old mare for Saturday’s fillies and mares’ Group Two race over 1400m at Rosehill.
With Tommy Berry in the saddle, Roots settled off the pace in the field of seven before leaving her rivals in her wake in the final 200m.
Roots ($3.20) defeated Call Di ($3.70) by 2-3/4-lengths with a neck back to Finepoint ($13) in third.
Berry said he suggested putting blinkers on Roots after The Invitation and was convinced after working the mare a week ago that she was ready to bounce back strongly third-up in the Hot Danish.
“I mentioned it (blinkers) but it’s up to them whether they want to use it or not,” Berry said.
“Chris knows his horses pretty well. I came to ride work for him last Saturday morning and I jumped on her with blinkers on.
“She worked really well and it showed today.
“She was a different horse today.”
Already a Group Two winner of the Emancipation Stakes and a Group One runner-up in last season’s Group One Tattersall’s Tiara, Roots took her overall record to seven wins from 21 starts.
Berry was confident a long way from home in Saturday’s race and brought up his third winner of the meeting after earlier successes with Speycaster and Shadows Of Love.
“I had them covered, it was just a matter of when I pushed the button,” Berry said.
Berry said he was taken by the return of Roots when she finished fifth in the Alan Brown Stakes earlier this spring and asked Waller if he could stick with the mare for her entire preparation.
Jockey Nash Rawiller was pleased with the performance of Call Di but said the winner was too good on the day, while apprentice Zac Lloyd said the winner’s stablemate Finepoint turned in a fantastic first-up performance for third.
“We had a tough run being three wide but the horse was in a good rhythm,” Lloyd said.
“She finished off accordingly.”
