KEEPMOVING FORWARD SCORES A COURAGEOUS WIN

By Graham Potter | Saturday, May 28, 2022

A winner at Rockhampton on Friday, May 27 … and then a winner at Toowoomba on Saturday May 28 … with just the small matter of 650km between the two locations.

Jockeys these days have to take the travel load in their stride if they are to get ahead, but a winner always helps to ease the travel fatigue and that is what Keepmoving Forward would have done for Cornish when the pair saluted in 0-65 Handicap over 1210m at Toowoomba on May 28.

Cornish pushed Keepmoving Forward out beautifully at the break and the $4.40 favourite took up the running in the early part but, when the $31 outsider Hedonie wanted the lead and set off a breakaway speed, Cornish was happy to let that one go, as she was with Master Red ($4.60) who also eased past Keepmoving Forward going down the back stretch.

That left Keepmoving Forward in third place, travelling at a comfortable gallop, in what was fast becoming a very spread-out field. Keepmoving Forward still had three lengths to make up as Hedonie brought the field to the home turn where Cornish had Keepmoving Forward hugging the rail and starting to close ground.

Cornish switched Keepmoving Forward marginally off the rail early in the straight to attack the gap between Hedonie and Master Red and Keepmoving Forward forged inbetween those two runners, bravely taking the split and then powering on under pressure, which was initially coming from either side.

Hedonie was the first to cry enough, but Master Red kept fighting and it was only inside the final 100m that it became clear that Keepmoving Forward and Cornish were doing enough to be able to claim the victory which was ultimately achieved by a 1.50 length margin.
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As in the case with all jockeys, frustration can come from three main sources … near misses, injuries or suspension.

Somewhere in that mix, all jockeys have to take it on the chin and steel themselves to keep persevering, a factor which plays an essential part in changing their fortunes.

Apart from the unwanted suspension she picked up at Rockhampton on May 27, in her last eleven rides in May, Jasmine Cornish finished second no less than four times (36 percent of the time), so it would be fair to say she has experienced one of those frustrating times that stalks all jockeys.

It’s character building though and, like the name of Cornish’s latest winner, ‘keep moving forward’ is what it is all about.

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