Positive riding tactics on That’s A Good Idea paid dividends at Warwick Farm on Saturday as the three-year-old raced to a convincing on-speed win.
Sydney’s premiership-leading jockey Glyn Schofield went into the Australian Turf Club Handicap (1400m) confident of the chances of That’s A Good Idea and was happy to roll along and apply the pressure to leader and odds-on favourite Stand Strong($1.80) in transit.
The Mark De Montfort-trained That's A Good Idea was a Canterbury winner two starts back before a closing third to the unbeaten Heart Testa. - Photo By Steve Hart
That pressure told and Stand Strong was a beaten horse on straightening, and That’s A Good Idea ($9.50) maintained a strong gallop to the line to win by 2-1/2 lengths over Fuming ($5.50) with Loch Leven ($10) three-quarters of a length away third.
Stand Strong, who was an impressive winner on debut at Canterbury, weakened to finish last in the six-horse field.
The Mark De Montfort-trained That’s A Good Idea was a Canterbury winner two starts back before a closing third to the unbeaten Heart Testa.
“Today I said to Mark, and he agreed, that we would make a lot more use of him and made sure it was a gallop the whole way,” Schofield said.
Schofield said he was surprised Stand Strong didn’t go with him deeper into the race but wasn’t surprised at the result.
“I’m surprised he was gone as early as he was but we were rolling along at a nice tempo and that tempo isn’t for the faint-hearted,” Schofield said.
De Montfort says That’s A Good Idea is still a raw talent and says it’s hard to predict just how far he might go.
“I couldn’t put a line on where he’s going to go but he’s a pretty nice horse,” De Montfort said.
Tommy Berry, who rode favourite Stand Strong, said he was a beaten horse a long way out.
“He never felt like he was going to win at any stage,” Berry said.
