By Adam Pengilly
It needed some prodding from the co-founder of Boost Juice to convince the Lindsay Park operation to squeeze another start into Jessy Belle during the Melbourne Cup carnival – and they received the ultimate reward at Flemington on Saturday. The six-year-old mare, part-owned by retail guru Jeff Allis, improved markedly from her effort on Melbourne Cup day to win the group 2 Matriarch Stakes.
It capped a race-to-race double for the training partnership of David Hayes, Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig as well as jockey Craig Williams. Jessy Belle held off Sort After and the fast-finishing Happy Hannah to cap her biggest success since a stable change three months ago. "He [Allis] thought maybe training from a farm might change it up a bit," Dabernig said.
Home you go: Jessy Belle, ridden by Craig Williams, races away to win the Matriarch Stakes at Flemington. Credit: Getty Images
"We were happy to take her on. Through the prep she was always running well, but we were scratching our head a bit. She was going to go for a spell after Cup day, but we decided we'll see how she does and throw her in." Jessy Belle ($26) was formerly trained by Luke Oliver and had built an association with Williams, who only picked up the ride when Godolphin's retained European rider Williams Buick couldn't make the weight as confusion reigned on race eve. "I got a phone call [Friday] night and there was a possibility I might be changing rides," Williams said.
"I really know this mare quite well and I've only had a handful of rides on her for three wins."
WEIR GRILLED AT TRACK
A sweep by Racing Victoria's Compliance and Assurance team of Warrnambool stables during Melbourne Cup week found treatment records were not updated for seven Darren Weir horses. Chief steward Terry Bailey hauled the Melbourne Cup-winning trainer in on Stakes Day to explain why the administration of the legal anti-inflammatory pentosan had not been recorded.
Weir's Warrnambool chief Jarrod McLean admitted a number of horses had been given the substance, but husbandry was not up to date. "He could have been not honest and say there was only one [horse]," Weir told stewards. "He said they all got it which I told him [to tell stewards]. I understand [the questioning] and there's no problem from my end." Stewards fined Weir $500.
PERSISTENCE PAYS OFF
He needed to spurn several approaches from one of the country's leading auction houses, but Peter Robinson was vindicated after Aspect downed his well-backed stablemate Azazel in the Maribyrnong Plate at Flemington. "Magic Millions wanted him to go to the sales and they approached us on a number of occasions, but we declined," Robinson said. "It's a family [affair] with my father-in-law and we're extremely excited about what we've bred. Tony McEvoy, ever since [the colt] has been working, thought he was going to be something special."
Tony's nephew Kerrin continued his golden spring carnival as Aspect mowed down his rivals to beat fellow debutant Cao Cao by 1 lengths with Wait For No One a further three-quarters-of-a-length back in third. Azazel laboured in the run home to dead heat for fourth. "The favourite [Azazel] has had the wood on him [Aspect] all the way through the preparation, but this horse handled the straight better," Tony McEvoy said.
SOUCHEZ BACK FROM BRINK
A horse which almost died on Stradbroke Day may return for Queensland's biggest race after Souchez resuscitated his group 1 ambitions on the final day of the Flemington carnival. Ridden conservatively by James McDonald, the Godolphin colt burst through to down Inside Agent in the listed Hilton Stakes. "We nearly lost him in Brisbane during the winter," Godolphin's head Australian trainer John O'Shea said.
"It was on Stradbroke day and he got very ill after the races and he spent about a fortnight in hospital. He's got back here and everyone who has contributed to his welfare we thank them greatly."
WILLIAMS ON CLOUD NINE
Lloyd Williams has always done things differently, but a winner during the Flemington carnival having not raced for more than three years? "You could knock me over with a feather here," Williams' son Nick said after Little White Cloud, having his first start since the Irish Derby in 2013, sailed to victory at Flemington. "I couldn't have possibly thought he would be ready to win today."
Under patient urgings from Katelyn Mallyon, who picked up the ride when Ben Melham couldn't make the weight, Little White Cloud fought off Nozomi to win his first Australian start. "I'm not surprised because he's in the best camp to be able to do something like this, but it was a very good win," Mallyon said. Added Williams: "I thought, 'he'll run out of puff soon, he'll run out of puff soon'. It seems like the further he went the better he was going."
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