STUTTERING STRUTS HIS STUFF

By Graham Potter | Saturday, April 22, 2023

The Robert Heathcote trained Stuttering claimed the seventh win of his career when holding all challenges at bay in a pulsating finish to salute in a Class 6 Plate over 1650m at Doomben on April 22.

The result was part of the continuing success story of the combination of Mark Du Plessis and Stuttering, a horse/rider partnership which dates back to June 3, 2020.

That was the first time Du Plessis took the son of Loves Conquers All into battle and their record since then underlines a relationship where each work superbly for each other, combining their talents to to bring the best out of each other.

Du Plessis and Stuttering have teamed up on eighteen occasions ... for five wins, three second places, six third places, two fourths and two fifth place finishes. In five of those non-winning runs, Stuttering finished less than a length behind the winner ... runs full of merit ... most notably his runner-up finish in the $1 million Magic Millions QTIS Open Handicap in January 2021 in which he was touched off by a whisker by The Odyssey.

The understanding and trust that had been forged between Stuttering and Du Plessis during this time was to play a pivotal part in Stuttering’s latest success where, in spite of his consistency, Stuttering was still relatively easy to back at $5.50.

Stuttering jumped well at the break. With Du Plessis having the intention to lead, Stuttering pressed forward and gained his desired position by the time the field had covered 250m.

The $14 chance Deep Sceiva raced in second, a length back, but the field was relatively strung out behind that as Stuttering took the field down the back straight with the race favourite Alburg ($2.10) racing a little over five lengths off the speed.

The field took closer order approaching the home turn where Stuttering railed beautifully on straightening ... but he still only had a length to spare of Deep Sceiva, while Alburg was now within three lengths of the leader and Aton Of Delight was also about to unleash a strong finishing effort from behind.

It would have seemed like a long run home for Du Plessis and Stuttering, but the six-year-old chestnut kicked on strongly early in the straight and dug deep over the last 150m to repel the faster finishing duo of Alburg and Aton Of Delight, beating them to the line by 0.23 lengths and 0.27 lengths respectively to score a tough, tough win.

That’s seven wins from thirty-seven starts for Stuttering (with no less than fifteen minor placings) with $675 450 in prize-money.

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