Jett Stanley was feeling no pain despite being dumped from American Wolf shortly after the finish line in Monday’s Adelaide Cup.
The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained Victorian four-year-old had just given Stanley his biggest win, holding out $4.80 favourite Highland Bling by a nose in the $350,000 Group 2 staying test.
Thrown out of the saddle and unsure whether he’d won, Stanley said “the limp went away pretty quick” when an ambulance officer confirmed the result.
“I thought I had it won at the 300m, and he went to throw it away as he can do.
“To do it for (Busuttin and Young) is very special. It’s left me speechless and everyone knows that I don’t get speechless very often.”
The race had drama at both ends, with $6 second favourite Berkeley Square standing in the gates when they opened. The gelding eventually passed 12 rivals to finish sixth, albeit 10.44 lengths from the winner.
Feature joy for Jamie
Jamie Melham had to settle for a distant third in the cup on Hurry Curry, but her Adelaide homecoming was still productive, with three winners including two of the three other black-type features.
Melham won the listed Manihi Classic (1100m) on the Godolphin-owned $2.05 favourite Celerity for the megastable of Ciaron Maher, and the listed C.S. Hayes Memorial Cup on Arran Bay ($5.50) for Phillip Stokes, who thus got some consolation for the narrow defeat of Highland Bling.
Melham had started the day with a confortable win on Mathematician ($1.30 favourite) for Will Clarken in a 1050-metre benchmark 66.
Melham featured in the trifecta in all four stakes races, finishing second in the listed Morphettville Guineas on Cannae, behind the Dan Clarken and Oopy MacGillivray-trained Bootlegger ($8). Emily Finnegan was the winning rider.
Apart from Melham, the jockey to register multiple wins on Adelaide Cup day was three-kilo claiming apprentice Brooke King. She won a 1600-metre benchmark 64 on Brown Nose Day Gal ($3.20 favourite) for Murray Bridge-based Roslyn Day and a 2000-metre 0-66 on Just A Brother ($7.50) for Strathalbyn’s Shayne and Chelsea Cahill.
Points shared
Jake Toeroek and Kayla Crowther shared the riding honours at Murray Bridge last Saturday with a double apiece.
Toeroek won a 1400-metre Class 2 on $2.90 favourite Big Brute for Chris Bieg and a 1200-metre 0-62 on I Am Piki ($7.50) for Richard and Chantelle Jolly.
Crowther won a 1400-metre 0-62 on Anahorish for Phillip Stokes and the $200,000 Magic Millions SA 2YO Classic on Capitalist filly Rich On Bubbles for Ben, Will and J.D. Hayes.
I Am Piki’s win was the first leg of a training double for the Jollys, who later took a 1400-metre benchmark 82 with Star Sirius, ridden by Teagan Voorham.
Warrnambool trainer Tom Dabernig took the $120,000 Magic Millions SA race for three- and four-year-olds with $2.05 favourite Shadhavar, who led all the way under Jacob Opperman for a comfortable 2¼-length win.
Diamonds shining
The Eyre Peninsula Legends Series continued at Penong’s once-a-year meeting last Saturday, with Diamonds Are ($6) taking the feature Penong Far West Farmers Cup (1600m) for Ceduna trainer Megan Gillespie.
Apprentice Tala Hutchinson was the winning rider and she completed a running double in the last race, a 1400-metre benchmark 52, on Archdeacon for Murray Bridge trainer Garret Lynch.
Hutchinson shared the honours with fellow apprentice Polly Brewster, who took a 1000-metre benchmark 52 on Raymond’s Reward ($7) and a 1200-metre benchmark 56 on I’m A Hottie ($2.50 equal favourite), both for Gawler trainer Wayne Brown.