Well before she was legged into the saddle on the 100-1 chance Rebel Raider in the $1.5 million Victoria Derby, Clare Lindop knew the biggest day in Australian racing was hers.
When she guided the colt to victory in the first Classic race of the season, she was left in no doubt.
Lindop rode Rebel Raider to success in the Derby, her biggest win for her biggest supporter in racing, trainer Leon Macdonald.
It was the 29-year-old's second Group One winner and easily her most important.
But it was a victory earlier in the day - one that she had nothing to do with - that made Derby Day more special than any other for Lindop.
A couple of hours before the Derby, the Melbourne Cup legend Bart Cummings asked Lindop to ride his horse Moatize in next Tuesday's big race after it snatched a place in the field by winning the Saab Quality.
"It's unbelievable," she said.
"Bart Cummings wants me to ride one of his horses in the Melbourne Cup.
"I can't think of a greater honour in racing."
Rebel Raider's shock victory probably came close.
Cummings would have been watching with a certain satisfaction as the young woman from Warrnambool outrode her opposition.
"I knew she could ride," said the 11-time Cup champion.
"Not a bad choice."
For Macdonald, the victory carried some added satisfaction.
Not only was it achieved in partnership with a rider whose career he has helped to fashion, it was also won against a fellow South Australian.
Mark Kavanagh, who had been developing a reputation as the leading expatriate South Australian trainer since Cummings himself, sent out the odds-on Derby favourite Whobegotyou.
With 300m to run Whobegotyou loomed up on the outside of Rebel Raider only to be shoved aside by Lindop as she made her winning move.
"That was one of the most satisfying wins of my career," Macdonald said.
It was the same for Lindop - at least until Tuesday.
[ 本帖最後由 S.WEEK 於 2/11/2008 10:46 AM 編輯 ]作者:
S.WEEK 時間: 2/11/2008 10:52 AM
亦係首批 Reset 子嗣勝出的第一個一級賽冠軍 :fff: :fff:作者:
S.WEEK 時間: 2/11/2008 10:52 AM
Reset had not even raced at the corresponding stage of his career, but today at Flemington, the Zabeel stallion landed his first Group 1 win as a sire when Rebel Raider scored a shock win in the Victoria Derby.
A $150,000 purchase for Leon McDonald from the draft of Mill Park Stud at the 2007 Magic Millions Gold Coast yearling sale, Rebel Raider became the first stakes winner for his sire when winning last season's G3 SAJC Sires Produce Stakes (1600m).
Reset is a son of the legendary Zabeel, who had to wait until his 12th crop before winning the VRC Classic, with Efficient just two years ago, after numerous minor placings.
Reset has done it in his first crop (although many, including John Hawkes, believe Octagonal should have provided Zabeel with the same honour in 1995).
Ironically, Reset had not even raced when the Victoria Derby was run in his classic season. He had his first start on Boxing Day of his three-year-old season and remained unbeaten thereafter, including wins in the G1 Australian Guineas and G1 Futurity Stakes.
Darley then paid an amount in the vicinity of $20million to purchase him from owner Lloyd Williams and he has covered books of 130 or more in each of his four seasons to date.
His fee has remained unchanged at $33,000 from the outset.
Rebel Raider is from the Group 1 placed Dehere mare Picholine, who ran second to the ill-fated Unworldly in the 2000 AJC Flight Stakes (1600m).
She won three races (up to 1300m) and Rebel Raider is her lone foal to race. She has since produced a Shamardal colt and Exceed And Excel filly.作者:
yuricylau 時間: 2/11/2008 11:54 AM
