CAUL OCT 13 - PAYNE CREATES HISTORY AS YOSEI WINS THOUSAND GUINEAS

By Taron Clarke | Thursday, October 14, 2010

Caulfield, October 13, 2010.
Track - Dead 5. Rail - True. Penetrometer 5.51.
Thousand Guineas (Group 1) 3YO Fillies SW - 1600m.
Time: 1-39.81. 600m Sectional: 36.01. (Carrying 55.5kg).
1 Yosei; 2 Heartsareforlove; 3 Brazilian Pulse.
Margins: 2.0L x 1.0L.

Michelle Payne created history in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas on Wednesday afternoon when she became the first female jockey to win the feature event in its proud 65 year history.

Yosei and Payne combined earlier in the year to notch up their first Group 1 together in the AJC Sires Produce Stakes at Randwick over 1400 metres.

After a disappointing effort in her most recent start in the Group 1 Flight Stakes, many pundits were adamant that Payne should have been replaced on the daughter of Invincible Spirit.

But Payne repaid the good faith of the owners with an inspired ride to grab the Group 1 glory in the Thousand Guineas.

Away well at barrier rise, Payne and Yosei settled in the second half of the field as is their usual pattern.

The favourite for the event was the Sydney filly More Strawberries. Nash Rawiller took the mount on the Gai Waterhouse galloper and the pair jumped awkwardly at the start and were tightened between runners shortly after getting into stride.

Patinack Farm galloper Heartsareforlove took up the running rounding the first turn with one of the favoured runners in the event Brazilian Pulse sliding up three deep to assume the position outside of the leader.

Michelle Payne aboard Yosei settled the filly down midfield on the fence, six lengths off the leader.

Favourite More Strawberries after an awkward getaway was forced well back in the field and Rawiller settled the filly down behind Yosei on the fence.

Sistine Angel for Craig Williams was caught three and four wide down the side of the track and approaching the home turn was sent forward towards the lead to come with her run.

On the swing for home it was the charge of the light brigade with five fillies across the track all making their runs together.

With all the runs up front, Michelle Payne bided her time and allowed Yosei to track up behind the wall of runners and close to within two lengths of the leaders.

Payne angled Yosei for a run between Brazilian Pulse and Ambers Waltz and the duo charged through and struck the front at the 150 metre mark.

With one flick of the whip Yosei put the race beyond doubt in a matter of strides as Michelle Payne raced into the record books with a devastating victory by two lengths over early leader Heartsareforlove with a further length back to Brazilian Pulse.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Stuart Webb: “It’s my home track, it hasn't been my home track for that long, and it is just great to win a race like this at Caulfield.

"I was going alright until I saw Dad before … I nearly teared up because he is.

“We’ve been vindicated for putting Michelle back on. I copped a lot of criticism for that, a lot of teasing too.

“Gee she rode it good. She waited … she waited. She’d walked the track. I'd walked the track. I'd rode the track this morning and there was nothing wrong with that fence.”

“Thanks to the owners John, Robert and Paul. They've all stuck strong. Michelle had no luck in Sydney … the horse didn't help either … she was being a little cow also.

“I worked as a farrier with John Pittard and he’s been a terrific mate over a lot of years. We're all great friends. I couldn't pick a better person to win a race for.

“Group 1 winners normally don't come through your place when you've only got one two-year-old coming through your stables a year, so for that I'm extremely grateful that she's found a place in my stable.

“You just don't want to destroy them on the way to the Oaks. She's a filly that we can look after and she could be a very good mile, mile-and-a-quarter horse for the next two or three seasons.

“Andrew Noblet actually made a good comment to me. He's been with a lot better horses than I have through his involvement with Leon (Corstens) and he deliberately didn't even put his filly (Sistine Angel) in the Oaks because he's seen a lot of horses get crucified by doing that.

“It would be great to go and win an Oaks and I think she can. She'd settle and she's tough, but I don't want to destroy her on the way.”

Jockey Michelle Payne: “I loved it. I was actually really nervous this morning.

“I walked the track and I had a good plan, but it's still got to work out. When More Strawberries missed the start … I expected her to be in front of Alittlebitofmonica and tracking both of the Sydney fillies and hope they'd hang out on the corner and I'd get the run up the inside, but More Strawberries missed the start and I was still able to get on the back of Alittlebitofmonica.

“There were a couple of tight little runs coming down the side which she took and I knew she would. She's just a little star and I love her.

“I thought she had a good chance, that's why I was a little bit nervous. I tried to forget about it and focus on my job and come here and walk the track.

“I got more nervous when I walked the track because I saw the advantage she had (from an inside draw) and I just hoped that it would work out as it panned out. It was a little bit different, but we got there so that's the main thing.

“I was really grateful that the owners stuck by me (after her Sydney defeat). I know that if I had made another mistake it would have been easy for them to get somebody else which is probably why the pressure was a bit higher today.

“I'm just so glad that she could get the coin and that's probably why I showed so much emotion after the win.

“I knew when she got the run she'd really quicken up. She loves that ground and once she got the run and she got her head in there I knew that I had it and she really sprinted through it and won well.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Yosei): 11.00 steady.
Favourite (More Strawberries): 3.60 in to 3.50. Finished sixth.

Horse to follow: Yosei was given a beautiful ride by Michelle Payne to score a deserved victory. The filly has plenty of upside and if connections push on towards the Oaks, she is the filly to beat.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
After the running of Race 1 connections advised Stewards that Ambers Waltz would be ridden more forward today and an announcement was made.

After arriving on course Alittlebitofmonica was examined by the Club’s veterinary surgeon and passed fit to run.

Melted and Ringa Ringa Rosie both jumped away awkwardly.

More Strawberries jumped awkwardly and lost ground and then after travelling a short distance was tightened for room between Sussuro and Pinker Pinker which shifted in slightly.

Melted over-raced in the early stages and got its head up.

Near the 1300m Sussuro got its head up when being restrained off the heels of Pinker Pinker.

Ringa Ringa Rosie pulled hard in the early stages.

Sistine Angel was obliged to race wide without cover throughout.

After leaving the 600m Yosei was momentarily steadied away from the heels of Plastic Fantastic.

Also after leaving the 600m More Strawberries was held up for a short distance.

After leaving the 400m Sussuro shifted out and made contact with Divorces resulting in both horse becoming unbalanced.

Approaching the 300m Maraaseem shifted away from Alittlebitofmonica and brushed the running rail.

N Rawiller (More Strawberries) was fined the sum of $200 under the provisions of AR137A(5)(a)(ii) for using his whip nine times in a forehand manner prior to the 100m. In assessing penalty Stewards took into account N Rawiller’s good recent record in this area.

M Rodd rider of Brazilian Pulse (NZ) reported that his mount failed to handle the track conditions.

M Zahra reported at the scales that Divorces did not handle today’s track conditions.

D Dunn rider of Ringa Ringa Rosie advised that the filly failed to handle today’s track conditions.

N Rawiller (More Strawberries) stated that after being slow to begin the filly raced very dour throughout the event.

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