Racing
Freedman and Godolphin combine for maiden stakes success
A look at some of the other angles from Hill Stakes day at Rosehill.
Modella stakes claims for Invitation
Lee and Cherie Curtis are hopeful Modella has done enough to earn selection for the $2 million The Invitation after posting an overdue win in the Midway Handicap at Rosehill.
The $2.20 favourite capitalised on a good draw and class drop to take out Saturday's 1400m race by 1-1/2 lengths over Vetwelve ($8.50) and Lee Curtis said they were keen to press onto the fillies and mares' feature in a fortnight.
"We would one hundred per cent go in it," Curtis said.
"There was pressure on her today. She'd had all the bells and whistles, let's see you do it. "
Modella has been competitive in several black type races, finishing fifth in both the James H B Carr Stakes (1400m) and Hawkesbury Guineas (1400m) in the autumn and just over three lengths from Manaal in the Golden Pendant (1400m) last month.
She had to contend with wide gates in all three and Curtis said she would be a deserved inclusion in The Invitation (1400m), in which horses must be selected to compete.
"She has had a shocking run with barriers (in) the James Carr Stakes, the Hawkesbury Guineas," Curtis said.
"We think she is stakes grade. We have always thought that."
Black type chance awaits State Of America
It took a patient steer from Zac Lloyd, but the David Payne-prepared State Of America ($13) proved too strong in Saturday's Captivant @ Kia Ora Handicap over 2000 metres.
Small fields in staying contests can at times lack tempo but Lloyd judged his run on State Of America perfectly to storm down the outside and defeat import God's Window ($3.90 equal fav) by a half-length.
Early leader Vega Magnifico ($3.90 equal fav) was a further 1-3/4 lengths back clinging on to third place.
Lloyd is building an impeccable record on the son of American Pharoah with five wins and a placing from just eight rides.
"He's the most beautiful horse to ride. He has matured as he's got on and just relaxes lovely in his runs," Lloyd said.
"That was our plan. Small field, they were always going to be a bit tactical and I thought if we just sit out the back and relax, let them all unfold.
"I trust his turn of foot."
Lloyd's father Jeff, a former topline jockey himself who now manages his son, had reached out to Payne to secure the mount.
"Today's got a nice book of rides. My dad's done a good job," Lloyd mused.
"I've got a good book so got to repay him with some good rides."
As to what's next for the six-year-old gelding, Payne believed there were bigger fish to fry.
"We will maybe step him up with a light weight in a Listed race or something like that," Payne said.
Freedman colt the Ohope of Godolphin team
Ohope gave Michael Freedman his first winner for Godolphin with his maiden victory in August and on Saturday at Rosehill the three-year-old became the trainer-owner combination's first stakes success story.
The colt relished a solid tempo to race to a 1-3/4 length victory over favourite Farnicle in the Listed Tapp-Craig (1400m), continuing a handy campaign which has also yielded two minor placings.
"This bloke was my first winner for them when he broke his maiden at Hawkesbury and I just love him," Freedman said.
"He has been really consistent this whole prep for me. He won his maiden at his first start and his next two runs have been great.
"We made a little gear chang taking the nose band off and putting the visors on and he really enjoyed that strong tempo today.
"He's a nice horse with a future."
Freedman was unsure whether Ohope would press onto the Callander-Presnell (1600m) in two weeks or possibly an assignment in Melbourne.
He is also open to spelling him and taking a longer-term view towards the autumn.
"He loved that solid tempo today and I think he might have a mile in him so whether that's pressing on to Melbourne for a race down there or giving him a break and looking at the Randwick Guineas or something like that but he's a horse with a good future."
Granny holds on in Nivison
It was a race run at breakneck speed and the Team Hawkes mare Gangsta Granny ($2.10 fav) has scrambled home to take out the Group 3 The Nivison.
After early leaders Bonita Queen and Danny's St Darci headed the field up at a slick tempo, the daughter of Written Tycoon settled third on the fence behind the two breakaways and had to cart the field up to them as they turned for home.
Hitting the front at the 200m, she managed to hold off a fast-finishing Monte Supreme ($5) by a half-head with roughie More Territories ($71) a further 1-1/4 lengths off in third, also hitting the line with gusto.
"When they went lickety split I thought, wow, they're going to really run her into the ground," co-trainer Michael Hawkes said.
"Last start obviously didn't go to plan, today the speed was hot. It was genuine and they ran hard."
Lloyd thought his mount might have done too much work in the run but was pleased to see her show some intestinal fortitude at the finish.
"It's very hard for those horses to be tacking up to that hot speed, albeit we had the fence which was a massive help," Lloyd said.
"But that electric speed was always going to set it up for the backmarkers, and she got there at the two hundred metre mark and she had to stay in front for two hundred.
"At the one hundred metre mark I thought I'm going too slowly to be winning, but I must say, I think as soon as she saw that horse in her peripheral vision she just fought again."
Quote of the Day: "Should have won the race. He was held up badly. The horse is going terrific." – Jockey Tim Clark lamenting Beadman's luckless second to Hidden Motive in the Roman Consul Stakes.
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