Find out what the jockeys had to say about their mounts following the Group 1 $2,000,000 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick.
Zac Lloyd (Proxima Dea – 1st):
“That’s her easiest win today and it was in a G1. She is a beauty, just tries her hardest. When I got outside the lead, pretty comfortably I knew it was going to be awfully hard to get to her and then also get past her.
“It’s so hard to do what she has done to win 5 in a row. The world is her oyster.
“To be fair after about 400m I thought it was game over. I have a lot of faith in her. I knew how tough she was last start. The fact she was a length or two in front of the main rivals. Was always going to be the strongest late.”
Video: Proxima Dea wins the Spring Champion Stakes
Dylan Gibbons (Global Goal):
“She couldn’t have gone any better. She left her heart out there at the 100m but the winner was just too good on the day.”
Kerrin McEvoy (Cormier):
“Really good. Ran well out to this trip for the first time. He feels as though he will stay further. Interesting to see if they go south.”
Tyler Schiller (Diameter):
“He gave me a lovely ride. Got a beautiful trip in behind the favourite and eventual winner. Probably just not that 2000m horse but I think back to a mile/1800 that will be his better go.”
Nash Rawiller (Scarole):
“Good effort. They rolled along. Full credit to the winner. Settled into a lovely rhythm. Learning something every time he goes around. Plan was to be more positive. He couldn’t have sustained it. I liked the way he poked through late to put him back into the finish.”
Jason Collett (Wonka):
“I feel he found that distance too much at this stage of his career.”
Tommy Berry (Stormy Marco):
“He got the first quarter right but when the speed came out, he got quite keen again. I just feel bad for him. If he drew a gate, we could put him where we wanted to and get him into a rhythm. He is using up a lot of his turn of foot to get to them then he’s out of puff. Has a bright future.”
Ashley Morgan (Persian Wonder):
“Probably come to the end of his prep. Travelled as well as he usually does in the run.”
Tim Clark (Mindgames):
“I thought he did a good job considering how lightly raced he is. Will be a much better horse in the Autumn.”
