News

Well Sprung pays back owners' Guineas ambitions

23rd Aug 2015

The Age - Andrew Garvey - Saturday, 22 August 2015

A desire by his owners to aim at the group 1 Caulfield Guineas saw Well Sprung — who was beaten at his debut in a maiden at Cranbourne a month ago — quickly graduating to black-type company, before scoring an impressive all-the-way win in the listed Mitchell McKenzie Stakes (1200 metres).

"We had to throw him in the deep end because the owners wanted to put him in the Guineas," said co-trainer Leonie Proctor's partner and trackrider, Rikki Cartwright.

"We had to throw him in the deep end and see how he went and it's paid off." The win also provided Proctor and her mother Lyn Tolson with their first black-type success since joining forces in a training partnership last season.

"In the last few years we have had the young ones coming through so we've gone from the jumpers on to the young ones," Proctor said.

"It's a big thrill to have a horse all the way through from breaking to now and get him to a stakes race at his second start."

From barrier five, jockey Michael Walker had no hesitation in pushing forward to take up the lead from the well supported Danuki, with New South Wales visitor Odyssey Moon trapped three wide with no cover.

Despite wobbling a little around the turn, Well Sprung ($26 to $21) was travelling well and he kept going strongly to the line to beat Danuki ($8 to $6.5) by 1 ¼ lengths, with Odyssey Moon ($4.60 to $7) battling on well to hold on for third a further 1 ¼ lengths away.

Walker had partnered Well Sprung in a gallop at Moonee Valley on Monday morning and although happy with the work had not been expecting such a performance.

"He gave me a good feel here on Monday but he actually surprised me what he did [today]," Walker said.

Walker said he believed that the Caulfield Guineas would come around too quickly for Well Sprung, a half-brother to Tawteen which won earlier in the day, with Proctor happy to be guided by how the son of Star Witness came through the run before deciding on his immediate future.

"We'll sleep on it and see where we go," Tolson said. "The horse will tell us. He's raw, very raw."

In the following race, Tolson and Proctor just missed out on a black-type double, when Just Magical ($41) had to settle for second placing behind Le Bonsir ($8) in the listed Carlyon Stakes (1000 metres).

Just Magical took the lead shortly after straightening but after following him into the race, Le Bonsir eased off his heels and proved too strong over the final stages to win by a length.

Amazingly, for a horse that has always raced over sprinting trips, it was Le Bonsir's first start over 1000 metres.

"I'm a slow learner," quipped his trainer Mick Price.

Ben Melham earned his winning percentages in bringing up a winning double.

It was at the jockey's suggestion that Lee Freedman added blinkers to the gear of Strykum ($3.40), before the filly scored an all-the-way win in the Quest Moonee Valley Plate (1200 metres) and then he had to use all his verbal skills to convince the stewards to uphold his protest on second-placegetter Shenzou Steeds, resulting in the veteran being promoted to first in the SAJ Fruit Supply Handicap (2040 metres).

David Hayes and Tom Dabernig enjoyed a winning double with Tawteen and Churchill Dancer and Hayes said he was happy to be back home after spending plenty of time heading to England in recent months to supervise the preparation of Criterion. "It was fun and I really enjoyed it but I'm glad to be home full-time," Hayes said.