KALIK STRIKES IN THE FIRST AT EAGLE FARM AS HOT FAVOURITE CHICO MILAGRO FAILS TO FIND A PLACE

By Graham Potter | Sunday, March 21, 2021

The Tony Haydon trained Kalik ran out a convincing winner of the opening race on the Eagle Farm card.

The Champion’s Gallery gelding pulled himself into the lead early in the straight, after tracking the early leader Shijin to the turn, and maintained a solid gallop to the line under Brad Stewart to effectively not let anybody else into the race.

“Today he just had the perfect ride,” said trainer Tony Haydon. “The pace was beautiful … there was genuine speed … and he rolled off it heels at the right time and just kept on coming.

“He has earned it (the win). This prep he has been unlucky a few times.

“He is what he is. and you have just got to train what you have got. He is bred to stay but he loves to sprint, so we’ll just go with that.

“I have squeezed him out to 1400m previously, but that was at the back of a prep. I’ll never do that again. I’ll just keep him at the 1000m /1200m range.

“At home there are not many horses that would work as quick as him.”

Jockey Brad Stewart described the run from his point of view.

‘it was pretty straight forward,” said Stewart. “I just slotted in behind Shijin and that sort of switched him off nicely with that little bit of cover behind him.

“He was on the scene at the right time and he ran it out strongly.

‘I travelled very, very easily and I would have been surprised if something ran me down.”

From the Stewards' Report

CHICO MILAGRO – Began awkwardly. Performed below market expectation, rider M Rodd reported that the gelding had an easy run throughout however could not offer any explanation to the disappointing performance. Laid in under pressure in the home straight. A post-race veterinary examination of CHICO MILAGRO returned from racing making an abnormal respiratory noise. Stable representative was notified that he will be required to provide a Veterinary Clearance with satisfactory results of an endoscopic examination prior to the horse racing or trialing again.

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