CIFRADO'S BRAVE SIRES' PRODUCE WIN

By Graham Potter | Monday, May 29, 2023

The Toowoomba train notched another significant Queensland Winter Carnival success when the Rex Lipp trained Cifrado’s strong effort in the Group 2 Sires' Produce carried the day both on the track … where he held off all challenges … and in the steward’s room … where he survived a protest from the jockey of the sixth placed Make a Call.

Yellow Brick (Tony and Maddysen Sears) and Russian Alliance (Kevin Kemp) had put the Toowoomba trainers on the feature race scoreboard early in the carnival, winning the Gold Coast Guineas and the Ken Russell respectively (both Group 3 races), and now here we had Cifrado trumping that with a Group 2 win when battling it out under the big spotlight of Derby Day at Eagle Farm and digging deep to claim his third victory (in only seven starts), two of which have Group 2 company with the latest result pushing the son of Encryption’s earnings up to a massive $870 525.

For Rex Lipp, who celebrated his seventy-fifth birthday on the Monday following Cifrado’s early delivery of a birthday present, it was a moment to savor.

Stables of the size and calibre of the likes of Chris Waller, the Peter and Paul Snowden training partnership, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott training partnership, amongst others … well-heeled stables … all had representatives lining up again against the humble Toowoomba team, but Lipp had been roundly unfazed by the supposed weight of the opposition he faced going into the Sires Produce.

"We are in it up to our ears if we get a bit of luck in running," Lipp told Racenet in the days leading up to the race.”

And, boy, they were right in it … right up to their ears!
_______________________________________________________________________

In more than one respect, Cifrado’s effort in the Sires' Produce was almost a duplicate effort of his win in the Champagne Classic two weeks earlier.

On that occasion Cifrado went back early, raced just worse than midfield along the inside for much of the trip, was just over four lengths off the lead on straightening … it looked like he really could not win it at the 300m … before unleashing a quite amazing finishing effort over the last 180m which saw him get up in the very last stride.

That was over 1200m. Clearly, based on that evidence, the step up to 1400m in the Sires was never going to trouble him.

In the Sires, Cifrado ($12) did not jump well, was chased up to settle just worse than midfield down the back straight, was then up to midfield in the sweep to the home turn and was again left with it all to do in the home straight.

With seven horses in front of him, the only way home for Cifrado was along the inside running rail, an option he took with concentrated effort, accelerating with power to claim the lead off another $12 chance Snapchat with a little under 200m left to run.

At that stage, Snapchat’s stable companion Make A Call ($21) was attempting to follow Cifrado through on the inside. Half a run was there, but Make a Call had to be checked when that run closed when Cifrado shifted inwards (Make a Call would go back to finish sixth, but only 1.50 lengths back), a movement of horses which would have a sequel in the steward’s room post-race.

Cifrado, for his part, remained strong to the line in a pressurized finish which saw only two lengths cover the first eight runners in the finish. His winning margin over Snapchat was 0.38 lengths.
_______________________________________________________________________

But it was not over yet!

Blake Shinn, the rider of Make A Call lodged an objection against Cifrado, alleging interference from the 200m point onwards.

As per usual in a protest hearing with opposing parties, both Shinn and Damien Thornton, who had piloted Cifrado to victory on the track, offered conflicting views on how the last 200m unfolded for their respective mounts … Shinn being adamant he was going on to beat Cifrado while Thornton stated that he was not sure which race Shinn was watching but Make A Call was never going to beat Cifrado.

After all was said and done, the result on the track was confirmed, as related in this extract from the official steward’s report.

‘The stewards considered an objection lodged by jockey B Shinn the rider of the sixth placed MAKE A CALL against CIFRADO (D Thornton) being declared the winner, alleging interference from the 200m point onwards. Stewards, after hearing evidence from the relevant parties and viewing the stewards patrol footage, found that near the 100m, CIFRADO shifted in resulting in MAKE A CALL having to check and lose its running. Stewards however, bearing in mind the proximity to the finish line and how both runners finished the race off over the final 50m, could not be satisfied that had this incident not occurred that MAKE A CALL would have finished ahead of CIFRADO at the conclusion of the event and therefore the objection was dismissed.’

There was a further sequel to that outcome as well. Again, as per the official steward’s report:

‘Jockey D Thornton pleaded guilty to a charge of careless riding pursuant to AR131(a), in that passing he allowed his mount to shift in when insufficiently clear of MAKE A CALL, causing that runner to have to check, make contact with the running rail and lose its rightful running. Jockey Thornton’s licence to ride in races was suspended for a period of 8 days to commence midnight the 1st of June and to expire midnight the 9th of June.’
______________________________________________________________________

So, finally, there it was. A big win on a big day for the Rex Lipp stable.

Lipp had won the Sires' Produce previously, all the way back in 2004 with Star Shiraz.

What difference does nineteen years make?

When Star Shiraz won the Sires' Produce the race held Group 1 status, but it has since been downgraded to Group 2 level … but here’s the twist.

When Star Shiraz saluted in 2004 the race was worth $250 000. This year the Sires was worth $1 million with this year’s $600 000 first prize a full $350 000 more than the entire prize-money offered in Star Shiraz’s 2004 win.

That’s more than enough compensation to offset any disappointment that Cifrado’s connections might have about the race no longer being a Group 1.

They would have gone home very happy indeed and the result was the best birthday present Rex Lipp could have hoped for … one that was very well earned by all involved in Cifrado’ success.

More articles