THE Muswellbrook-trained Pippi’s Pride and Port Macquarie-based apprentice Cejay Graham have developed a relationship that has led to two successive cup wins at Muswellbrook, the latest in the TAB.COM.AU Kayuga Cup (1450m) on Tuesday.
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Three weeks ago, they combined to lead all the way and win the Denman Cup (1280m) and followed up by again leading virtually all the way to win the Kayuga Cup.
The only time the Stephen Gleeson-trained eight-year-old was headed in this race was in the straight but he fought back, despite wanting to hang out, to win by half a length from the dead heaters Iona Nicconi and Bob’s A Dazzler.
His winning time, 1:25.71, was a class record and close to the track record.
Yet 24 hours earlier, Gleeson was in two minds about whether to start Pippi’s Pride with the track rated a slow 6.
“He is no good on rain-affected going but I walked over and had a good look at the track on Monday afternoon and noticed they had cut the grass shorter than last time,” he said.
“Then I had a talk with Duane Dowell (the club’s general manager) and from what he told me I decided to run.
“The good weather leading up to the cup helped the track dry out and it was near perfect by the time we got to this race.”
The track was upgraded to a slow 5 by race morning and upgraded to a good 4 after the first race.
“Pippi’s Pride is an amazing old horse and he is my wife’s favourite,” Gleeson said.
“He showed so much ability earlier in his career then seemed to lose his way and ran a heap of placings.
“Cejay seems to have developed a real understanding with him and she is such a balanced rider.
“His benchmark went up after he won the Denman Cup and it will probably go up again so I might take him to Canterbury and leave her on him.
“Her claim down there will be handy.
“This was a quality field he beat today and it is good to see open handicaps like this at country meetings.”
Graham said she had not wanted to lead.
“However, the wide barrier dictated it because I did not want to be trapped wide,” she admitted.
While Pippi’s Pride led easily in the early part of the race the margin was cut to a length by the time he reached the turn.
Pippi’s Pride was headed after straightening but fought back to re-gain the lead and win moving away.
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THE time run by Pippi’s Pride was one of four records during the day at Skellatar Park.
The maiden 900m record was broken twice in the space of two races while the Stirling Osland-trained Rock The World ran a class record in winning the last, the Godolphin Benchmark 58 (1000m).
That made it three wins in a row and three from four for Rock The World since being switched to Osland from Victoria.
“She probably should be four from four,” Osland said.
“At her first start for us at Moree she was unlucky.
“She has won twice for us over 1100m and now over 1000 metres so I will just keep her to these sprints.
“She is only a three-year-old so there is plenty of upside to her.”
Rock The World, ridden by Greg Ryan, toughed out the finish to prevail over a wall of horses to win by a nose from Miss Gigi in 56.77 seconds.
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GLEESON’S cup win and a double to Todd Howlett gave Muswellbrook-trained horses a third of the program.
The Howlett-trained Magic Beneteau (Mikayla Weir) won the Adelaide @ Coolmore Benchmark 58 (1280m) while Big Reg, described by Howlett as a “ratbag,” won the Horsepower Class One (1280m) with Adam Hyeronimus aboard.
The win by Magic Beneteau gave Weir her 100th career winner and followed a win in similar company at Dubbo at his previous start.
This preparation Magic Beneteau has started twice at Quirindi then been to Rosehill, Scone, Grafton, Tamworth, Dubbo and Muswellbrook.
“He will probably go back to Grafton again if there is a suitable,” Howlett said.
“He is owned by Jack McIntyre who owns the hotel at Yamba and he likes to see the horse up there.”
Weir settled Magic Beneteau in sixth place early, then edged forward nearing the turn.
In the straight she drove Magic Beneteau ($3.30) to the lead then had to hold off a wall of horses to win by a long head from the dead heaters Yambaah Prince and Sithali.
The margins to the next three horses, Sunday Swindler, Toast and Celtic Tiger were a nose, a short half head and a short half head.
Big Reg’s win did not change Howlett’s opinion of the horse.
“He is just a lot of hard work, a real ratbag,” Howlett said.
“He wants to bite people so I train him out of a paddock to try and keep him settled and it seems to be working.
“He is a menace in the parade yard so the stewards let me send him out early.”
Adam Hyeronimus, who won the Kosciuszko, had two rides and while his first ride, Lady Of Kos, ran fourth the win by Big Reg made the trip from Sydney worthwhile.
“He is a handful but a nice horse to ride,” Hyeronimus said.
Big Reg dwelt slightly at the start but Hyeronimus quickly had him racing mid field, hit the lead in the straight and went on to win by a neck from Litt Up with Moobi running a big race for third, beaten a further half neck.