Fresh from achieving the milestone of outriding his claim, apprentice Ben Allen has piloted Tried And Tired to an upset win on a soft track at Pakenham.
Jungle Edge was sent out the $1.95 favourite in Saturday’s Stabil-Lime Group Handicap (1200m) but, carrying 60.5kg after apprentice Georgina Cartwright’s claim, the popular gelding was chased down late and finished a close third.
Allen notched the 80th city win of his career in the final race at Moonee Valley on Friday night aboard So Far Sokool to outride his claim.
Because the fields were already out for Saturday, Allen was still able to utilise a 1.5kg claim at Pakenham and it took Tried And Tired’s weight down to 52.5kg.
Tried And Tired ($9.50) got to leader Jungle Edge at the 100m and went on to beat Proud Wolf ($6) by a long neck, with Jungle Edge another long head away.
Tried And Tired is trained by Jarrod McLean, who is also Warrnambool stable foreman for champion trainer Darren Weir.
McLean was in Perth on Saturday looking after the Weir-trained Black Heart Bart for the Group One Kingston Town Stakes.
Saturday’s success was eight-year-old Tried And Tired’s first win since March 2016, when he was trained by Leon and Troy Corstens.
“I galloped him the other morning and he galloped like a weapon,” Allen said.
“It’s just getting him to try on race day.
“I got into a good spot and got a suck run into it. Once I peeled him out he let down well and put them away nicely.”
Jungle Edge’s trainer, Mick Bell, kept the sprinter going for Saturday’s race because he was going to get his preferred soft conditions and he said the gelding still did him proud but the weight difference proved telling.
