FLEM FEB 25 - IT'S A GROUP 1 WIN FOR ROB HEATHCOTE!

By Graham Potter | Monday, February 27, 2012

Trainer Robert Heathcote’s quest for his first Group 1 success is at an end.

Woorim had always been anointed as the runner most likely to succeed in that role for the top Brisbane stable and, when that win came at long odds in the Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield on Saturday, the landmark victory arrived as per the script that Woorim had been rehearsing for some time.

It has long been accepted by most pundits that the runner with the get back, fly home pattern of racing has to be allowed to run his own race in manner where his astonishing turn of foot late in proceedings can kick in without interruption. That, by interpretation, means Woorim simply has to be eased to the outside into clear running by his rider and the horse will take it from there.

While the strategy is simple, it does require an equally simple leap of faith and therein lies a complication.

Top jockeys have wavered when faced with the decision at the top of the straight to shift out and initially lose ground when asking Woorim to go right around a field of top quality runners who he has already given a healthy start. ‘He couldn’t do it if we did that’ had to be the motivating factor which had the likes of riding stars such as Corey Brown and Michael Rodd riding Woorim the shorter way home in-between runners to the horse’s detriment in the likes of the Stradbroke and the Emirates.

Heathcote never lost faith in Woorim’s inherent ability to claim the big prize and he never stressed about getting a Group 1 success on his resume. He just kept working at it.

As did Woorim’s regular jockey Damian Browne. Since first getting on the horse in the Bribie Handicap back in April 2011, Browne had worn the orange cap in nine of Woorim’s last twelve starts racking up three wins during that time in the Group 3 BRC Sprint, the Listed Glasshouse and in an Open Handicap at Moonee Valley.

Browne put that experience to maximum use on Saturday and, post race, he gave his view on how the race unfolded.

Damian Browne: “He (Woorim) is obviously better over a touch further, but they were going very hard early. Probably being slightly out of his comfort zone I had to niggle him just to keep him going.

“It probably wasn’t until we started to straighten up and balance up that he really got onto the right leg and from there he went into overdrive.

“We all know what he can put in … sometimes you are just hoping that it’s coming, and this time it did on the day.

“He’s got one of the best finishes of any horse in Australia. It’s just a matter of trying to stay in touch with them and letting him run home the last furlong-and-a-half.

“They had to go really hard in the race for him to be any chance on Saturday … and they did that. Thankfully there was a couple of hard luck stories in the race. We were happy to take advantage of that.

“He felt terrific and the stable have done a great job getting him to that Group 1 which he clearly deserves.”

While Browne has been on Woorim in nine out of the gelding’s last twelve starts, on Saturday he was actually reuniting with Woorim for the first time since an unplaced finish in the Toorak back in October. Michael Rodd had been in the saddle in Woorim’s two starts between the Toorak and the Oakleigh Plate.

Browne had not lost the ride during this time. Rather he had relinquished it … as he explains.

Damian Browne: “Last time around I’d gone down there I think six weeks in a row. I sort of just lost momentum back in Brisbane.

“It’s hard when you are just going down there and having one or two rides a week to really keep your eye in, so I decided not to go on Derby day when Woorim won.

“Then when it came to the Emirates you can understand that it’s very hard for the connections to take a winning jockey off. The owners were just being loyal to Michael Rodd, which was only right …so I missed that ride as well.

“I was always going to be on Woorim when he came back to Brisbane or wherever his next campaign took him.”

HRO put one final question to Browne: You always portray a very professional aura … calm, cool and collected, but inside … how big a thrill was the win of Woorim?

Damian Browne: “It’s more about satisfaction for me. I don’t get over-excited about a lot of things.

“For me, personally, it was more just the satisfaction of going back to Melbourne and winning a Group 1 race.

“I was more thrilled for (owners) Ross and Judy Cutts for the reward they got after all they have given to racing and for Rob (Heathcote) for his first Group 1 … and for me to be associated with that.”

The Woorim story is not over. Whatever might follow, in part at least, Woorim’s Group 1 victory in the Oakleigh Plate rubber stamped a huge reward for all the hard work put in by his trainer, all of the informed input that has been forthcoming from his regular rider and all of the patience exhibited by Woorim’s owners Ross and Judy Cutts.

Cheers to a mighty effort from the Queenlanders … and that includes the fine effort of Jason McLachlan’s charge Facile Tigre who finished third, just 0.30 lengths behind Woorim in the Oakleigh!