GOLD SALUTE TOO STRONG FOR HIS RIVALS

By Graham Potter | Saturday, May 16, 2009

Gold Salute produced a strong, sustained effort to land a comfortable victory in the seventh race at Flemington.

Mark Pegus rated the gelding perfectly and once he asked the five-year-old for his effort , Gold Salute didn’t take long to assert his authority, in spite of a really cheeky challenge from the outsider De Mars, who returned a place dividend of more than $30 on all totes.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Mark Riley: “Well, if we didn’t have bad luck before this, we wouldn’t have had any luck at all. Change of jockey today might have been the difference. I always tell the jockeys to be positive coming out of the gates. Today he was. So, it makes a difference when they put the horses where they should be and give them a chance to win.

“This horse should have been two from two, his first two starts this time in. He should have favourite, but today he was 20-1 which was lovely. He is a good horse. He’s had all Group form around him last preparation. He has a good preparation this time in and it makes a difference when they ride him properly for you.”