REAL LOVE TOUGHS IT OUT TO LAND GROUP 3 WIN

By Graham Potter | Monday, May 16, 2016

JRA CUP (PRESENTED BY THE JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION) - GROUP 3 – 2000m.

WINNER: REAL LOVE (5 ch m Desert King – Flaming Heart).
Track: Good (3) Time: 2:00.96 Sectional Time: 0:35.02 at 600m.

Darren Weir’s status as a trainer continues to grow with each passing week so when he has a runner away from home you know he is not travelling it for the change of scenery.

Weir sent out Real Love for this Group 3 event. The horse had raced in Western Australia under the care of trainer Adam Durrant until January 2, when it finished third in the Perth Cup.

That effort came at the end of a six run preparation with the horse then moving to the Weir stable for which it resumed action on January 30. In her five runs for Weir going into this race Real Love had yet to finish out of the first three places, including a third place in the Adelaide Cup.

On the basis of that consistency the mare started as a $2,63 favourite ahead of Sir John Hawkwood at $4.25.

Real Love settled in fifth spot as Volkhere went out to set the early speed with Brad Rawiller positioning the favourite some four lengths off the pace as Volkhere carted the field down the back straight.

It was a very patient ride by Rawiller and the fact he had his finger right on the pulse of the race was confirmed when he reacted to a move by Sir John Hawkwood, who tried to improve up on his inside at the 500m mark. Rawiller just gave Real Love a bit more rein and put Sir John Hawkwood back behind runners.

At that stage these two runners were still a touch less than four lengths behind Volkhere ... but Rawiller’s reaction arguably translated into a race winning move.

That gave Real Love first run on Sir John Hawkwood in the straight. Rawiller was able to push his mount out early while Sir John Hawkwood had to mark time while switching out across heels. By the time he got into clear air Real Love had sprinted away to join issue with Volkhere at the head of affairs.

Volkhere did fight on bravely but he could not match the effort of Real Love over the closing stages and the latter hit the front with enough in hand to see off the late challenge of Sir John Hawkwood, with Volkhere staying on for third narrowly ahead of Junoob, who had come from a long way back to finish just a length off the winner.

** Real Love is now an eight-time winner from twenty six starts and her win here took her earnings through the $1 million barrier. The run broke Streama’s course record here, lowering the mark from 2:01.03 to 2:00.96.

The plan now is for Real Love to start in the Group 3 Premier's Cup (2200m) at Doomben on May 28 followed by the Group 2 Brisbane Cup (2400m) at Eagle Farm on June 11.

WINNER FEEDBACK:

JOCKEY BRAD RAWILLER:

“Pre-race the one thing Darren (Weir) said was to make sure, with this way of going (the right hand turn), that I should wait until we straighten to make sure she gets around the turn,

"But I had to make my move early because of where Sir John Hawkwood was.

“After I made that early move I felt I had Sir John Hawkwood where I wanted him and the rest is history.

“As it turned out she took the turn better than I expected. I had the stick in my left hand just in case just to help her get around the turn. In saying that though, the one thing with Doomben ... even though it is a little bit tight and a smaller track compared to Eagle Farm ... it is really well cambered and I’m sure that helped her as well.

“She was never any worry and pretty soon after straightening I was able to put in the ride and get the job done.

“Credit to her. She is a really smart mare and credit to the team as well because it was a big effort going to towards the Adelaide Cup after a big prep in Perth already ... and then coming up here.

“It is hard to keep a horse up for so long, and you sort of wonder now about the fact that she is keeping up so long again. She did have a freshen up, but that is where Darren is so good as a trainer.

“He knows his horses and now, having had this horse in his stable for that little bit of extra time, he is doing what he needs to do with her.

“He is the best.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:

SIR JOHN HAWKWOOD – Raced in restricted room for some distance from the 600m and then on straightening was badly held up inside LOCK’S LEGEND and had to be restrained and shifted out before finding clear running near the 300m.

JETSET LAD – Began very awkwardly. Raced three wide until near the 1000m where it was then positioned outside the leader.

More articles