News

Farley's 'freak' grabs glory in Straddy

14th Jun 2011

Sydney Morning Herald - Craig Young - June 12, 2011

WYONG trainer Stephen Farley and a huge team of owners turned the Eagle Farm parade ring into an arena of joy after Sincero charged home to win the $1 million Stradbroke Handicap yesterday.

''This is unbelievable, and this horse is a freak,'' Farley said a week after he left the track a jaded and depleted man.

Sincero, which Farley found at the Inglis Classic sale for $8000 and turned into group 1 winner of Queensland's premier race, was beaten as favourite in the QTC Cup last Saturday.

Sydney's leading trainers - Chris Waller and Darley Stud's head man Peter Snowden - told Farley to stick to his plan. Farley put the blinkers on Sincero and the rest is history.

Snowden embraced Farley in the runner's up stall yesterday after his favourite Beaded was a brave second after winning the Doomben 10,000 at her previous start.

''I'm never happy running second but I'll take it today,'' Snowden said. ''He [Farley] was in a bit of dilemma last week and I told him you always wanted to run in the Stradbroke so back your judgment. One bad run doesn't spoil a campaign.''

Farley told Snowden: ''Thanks for those words last week, it means a lot to me'', before setting off after his horse while being embraced by a team of 10 owners and a heap more supporters.

Farley had found himself in new territory with Sincero, which arrived in Queensland having won the Gosford and the Scone Guineas.

The gelding was the only three-year-old in the Stradbroke, with three-time Melbourne Cup winning jockey Glen Boss not bothering to return from Singapore for the ride after Sincero's QTC Cup effort.

''I was absolutely bolting in the the run,'' said delighted Gold Coast jockey Jason Taylor, who picked up the mount. ''The blinkers did the job today. Once I got on the back of Beaded rounding the bend I knew she'd take me into the race. When he got out, I thought now I'll run her down and he did the rest.''

Taylor, who describes himself as ''a young 39-year-old'', spoke during the week with Sincero's regular jockey Chris O'Brien, who could not make the three-year-old's Stradbroke weight of 50.5kg.

''Chris told me how the horse lets down, lets down real quick,'' Farley said. ''What a buzz it was, my second group 1 winner.''

Sincero was backed from $9 in to $7.50 and had a short-neck to spare over Beaded ($6.50), with the longtime leader Listen Son ($31) 1¾ lengths away in third place.

''She ran super,'' Snowden said of Beaded's effort under jockey Kerrin McEvoy. ''He gave her a gun ride - Kerrin told me he counted to 10 before letting her go, I was counting and just waiting for one to come.''

Love Conquers All, which chased Beaded home in the Doomben 10,000 after finishing second in the Doncaster Mile and George Ryder Stakes, started Stradbroke favourite at $5.50 but finished only 15th.

''He was a fraction slow out of the barriers,'' Love Conquers All's jockey, Chris Munce, said. ''He came about a neck behind them and once he was back in the field he wouldn't race amongst horses, he didn't want to be there.''