The punters got it wrong about the Kris Lees-trained grey Cloudland when he resumed in last Saturday’s 1200-metre benchmark 88 at Rosehill.
The six-year-old went into the race off two sound trials and with an excellent first-up record (7: 3-2-1) but opened at $21 and, after a brief nibble into $17, started back at his opening price.
He belied those odds, settling midfield under Josh Parr then charging home down the middle of the track to win by a length from Cosmonova with Fleetwood a long head away third.
Cloudland is lightly raced for a rising seven-year-old, with 23 starts for seven wins, eight minor placings and $432,225.
“He gave me a really good effort today,” Parr said. “The speed was on, which was nice, and we found that three-wide-with-cover line. He really appreciated it.
“He’s a horse that you can’t bully around too much. You have to allow him to please himself and I think in that position with room, he appreciated it.
“We saw a really good turn of foot from him, albeit maybe 50 yards too soon, but I’m glad he put enough of a gap on them to hold on late.”
Stable rep Danny Greer said the team had been “quietly confident” going in.
“We were just a little bit worried about the draw (15). We knew they’d run along early and give him the chance to find the line strongly.
“It was a really nice ride from Josh Parr as well. It’s always nice when we can connect with him.”
Lord rules fresh
Another first-upper at odds got the job done in the Class 3 TAB Highway Handicap (1200m).
The Brett Bellamy-trained Lordster ($15), who’d won one of two previous first-up starts, sprinted quickly to hit the front inside the final 100 metres, then tired a little but was able to stave off the late challenge of fellow Coffs Harbour-trained galloper Powder Man to win by three-quarters of a length.
The winning jockey, apprentice Anna Roper, noted that Lordster had been underrated by the punters.
“Brett’s been very happy with Lordster and thought the horse would run well as he likes soft going, but he’ll definitely come on from that run,” she said.
“He hit the front too soon and probably tired a little bit late.
“He’s very honest and his Brisbane form had been consistent, which usually means they come to Highways and run well.
“I think he was a bit underestimated today.”
The win was Roper’s 22nd metropolitan success and one of the first to congratulate her was fellow jockey Jon Grisedale, who didn’t have a mount in the race but whose wife Donna trains Powder Man.
“An outstanding ride. Well done,” Grisedale said.
Daisy blooms in blinkers
The other out-of-town winner on the Rosehill program also started at double-figure odds, in her case thanks to a flop in the same grade the week before.
African Daisy, trained at Newcastle by Jason Deamer, had run last of 12 in the previous week’s benchmark 72 Midway at Rosehill over 1300 metres.
This time, over 1200 metres, Tim Clark settled African Daisy ($10) just off the pace before hitting the front in the straight then proving a shade too strong for Equilibrist to win by a long neck.
Clark attributed the mare’s sharp improvement to Deamer’s decision to put blinkers on her.
“From the get-go she was really intent on putting herself into the race and showed she really wanted to be there,” Clark said. The blinkers really worked.
“Jase (Deamer) always turns out his horses in really good order and he’s done a great job to turn her around. She appreciated getting her toe into the ground, a good draw and a nice run.
“Things fell into place for her today and that’s not always going to be the case but it was good to see when they did, she was able to capitalise on it.”
Around the traps
Punters were closer to the mark at the Wyong the same afternoon when the $60,000 Super Maiden (1350m) went to debutante and $4 favourite Outta Line, a three-year-old filly from the Waterhouse/Bott training partnership ridden by apprentice Olivia Chambers.
Keagan Latham took riding honours at Wyong with a winning treble.
At Cowra last Saturday senior jockey Wendy Peel, apprentice Jessica Brookes and Dubbo trainer Janelle Galea each had a winning double.
The Duck Creek Picnic Race Club’s annual meeting saw Dubbo-based picnics queen Connie Greig take the Nyngan Picnic Cup (1250m) with Blackhill Kitty recording a dominant 3½-length win over stablemate and fellow $2.60 equal favourite I’m Scarlett. Todd Bailey rode the winner.
At Mungindi the same afternoon, the the 1400-metre Mungindi Cup went to Better Tomorrow ($3.50), trained at Inverell by Jo Methven and ridden by apprentice Glenn Cahill.
The previous day at Tamworth, jockeys Aaron Bullock and Shannen Llewellyn rode doubles while at Canberra local trainer Luke Pepper led in a winning double.
Sunday’s Mudgee had to be abandoned after the fifth due to the state of the track, but not before the $50,000 Super Maiden (1400m) went to three-year-old filly Saint Philomena ($7.50), trained at Dubbo by Dar Lunn and ridden by Aaron Bullock. The win brought up a double for Bullock.
Meanwhile at Grafton, the Grafton Cup Quality Prelude (2230m) saw the Brett Bellamy-trained Pure Deal cause a boilover, winning as the $61 rank outsider in a six-horse field under apprentice Bella Youngberry.
Cups aplenty
This Friday’s Moruya meeting features a $50,000 Super Maiden Plate (1425m) while Saturday is cup day at Carinda and Wean, with the features over 1400 and 1600 metres respectively.
On Sunday the Graftyon carnival continues with the running of the South Grafton Quality Cup while it’s also cup day at Narrandera. Both cup races are Big Dance eligibility races and both are over 1600 metres.
In addition, both clubs will stage $50,000 Super Maidens over 1000 metres.