News

Country Trainer Lands First Flemington Win

9th Aug 2015

AAP - Craig Brennan - Saturday, 8 August 2015

Sunday Escape has given country trainer Andrew Murray with his first Flemington winner.

With a team of six horses in work at Sale, Murray first tasted metropolitan success when Sunday Escape scored at Caulfield in April.

Murray is now toying with the idea of giving Sunday Escape a break after scoring in the Nathan O'Mara and Terry Jolly Handicap (1000m) on Saturday.

Ridden by Dwayne Dunn, Sunday Escape ($8) scored a half-length win from Churchill Dancer ($10) with Tansy ($13) three quarters of a length away third.

"With the spring coming all the races change now and there's not as many ratings races," Murray said.

"He's either got to step up to black type or go for a break and have another go next year.

"I think we'll let the dust settle, get him home and have a talk to Dwayne and see what he thinks."

Murray said the five-year-old by Hard Spun had been in work for 10 months and his routine after each start was to be led off a pony accompanied by some water work.

"We keep him happy," Murray said.

"He just keeps on coming up and having a crack."

Dunn has ridden Sunday Escape in two of his four wins from 14 starts and the jockey says he can measure up to better company.

"He's got form around Tansy, Il Cavallo and those sort of horses," Dunn said.

"They're pretty solid off-season Saturday sort of horses that can go to Group Three level and be more than competitive."