EF JUNE 05 - TRIPLE HONOUR UNDERLINES HIS CLASS

By Graham Potter and Matthew Grimson | Monday, June 7, 2010

Eagle Farm. June 05, 2010.
Track - Good 3. Rail - True.
Eagle Farm Cup (Group 2 - WFA) - 2200m.
Time: 2-14.34 (Carrying 59kg - New Race Record).
1 Triple Honour; 2 Raffaello; 3 Newport.

On April 26, 2008 Triple Honour gave trainer Chris Waller his first Group 1 success when he outgunned Casino Prince to win the Doncaster Handicap. That win earned Triple Honour a special place in Waller's heart and his favourite horse is still doing him proud, his latest emphatic win in the Group 2 Eagle Farm Cup on Saturday providing further evidence of the inherent class of the five-year-old son of Honours List.

Triple Honour had never raced over 2200m before facing that test on Saturday. He had been warming to the task though having finished second in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (behind Road to Rock) over 2000m at Randwick and then third in the Doomben Cup (just a head away from his stable companion Metal Bender) over 2020m in the two runs leading into Saturday's contest.

Those two results were encouraging in terms of him being able to see out the 2200m trip and they also confirmed his current well-being as he continued to thrive in spite of having an extended preparation. The Eagle Farm Cup was Triple Honour's seventh start this time in.

The respect Triple Honour had earned saw him marked up as favourite at $3.80 and anyone who took the odds next to his name would have had a broad smile on their face when Triple Honour kicked away from his rivals halfway up the straight. The break he so quickly established and the fact that he was able to get home in a race record time of 2-14.34 underlined the emphatic nature of the win.

That time was achieved on the back of a strong early speed. Scouting Wide and Attallus ensured it was a true run race by going out strongly and these two runners carted the field down the back straight. At this stage jockey Larry Cassidy was content to let Triple Honour lope along in eighth and then ninth place, racing outside of Newport, some eight to nine lengths off the lead.

Sir Slick injected even more pace into the race when jockey Michael Walker pulled him out and chased his mount around runners to assume the lead going through the 1000m mark. Shortly after that Cassidy allowed Triple Honour more rein and the gelding started to make up ground steadily, without any undue effort, in the sweep to the turn.

Triple Honour made such smart progress that he was already in third place when he straightened for home.

Triple Honour continued his run in the straight with Cassidy not rushing him at all. Instead the rider allowed Triple Honour to get to the front in his own time, which he did with ease, breezing past Sir Slick and scouting Wide inside the final 250m, from which moment it was 'race over' ... barring the chase for the minor placings.

That went the way of Raffaello and Newport, who finished second and third respectively. Both ran on well enough at the business end of affairs, but neither were anywhere near a match for the winner.

Triple Honour's seventh career win came in the seventh start of his seventh preparation and the result took his stake earnings to just shy of $2 million.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Chris Waller: “It’s been good (the carnival). It’s not over yet so hopefully we can continue our run. It is an amazing feeling. Great staff, good horses and good owners. It is a great recipe for success.

"He’s been a hard horse to follow and obviously winning a Doncaster was great. It's been a bit frustrating until now, but obviously he has found the forte ... he can stay. His last three runs have been in good company. He’s been ... I wouldn’t say dominant ... but he’s certainly been very competitive against some good horses.

“We didn’t know whether he was a sprinter or a miler. It just looks as though there is a pattern that he is a better horse in the Autumn. He’s a sound horse and no internal problems which is probably better than most horses his age. His future is still bright.

"I doubt he will go to the Brisbane Cup. It is a handicap so he'll have quite a bit of weight in that. Obviously he has got a bit of a class edge, but at the end of the day we’ve got to look after him. He’s still got other preparations to think about.

“Our horses do well in Queensland so we'll nominate him for the race. We certainly wouldn’t make a decision until at least Tuesday ... Wednesday. But more than likely he'll stay up here in the Queensland weather and let him enjoy himself.

“Yeah, certainly a day for the Cassidy’s. Obviously Larry was a big help in getting me started in Sydney as well so it’s good to be able to repay him in some way.

“I have always used good jockeys and he (Larry Cassidy) was the first jockey we used basically. Then he went to Singapore and then we started using Darren Beadman and since then I have just been using all the best jockeys.

"It is good for a young trainer because not only do they ride the horse well ... Larry was leading the premiership when I first got to Sydney ... they can give you great feedback and the owners love listening to that. There are great jockeys out there but the owners prefer hearing it from these big boys. Whether they have an edge, I am not sure, but they seem to keep getting the good results.

“For sure Triple Honour is a favourite of mine. You never forget your first Group 1 (The Doncaster).

"I always said we would go to Perth with him ... just a little bit lower than the top level. Then come back to Brisbane next year too.”

Jockey Larry Cassidy: “I thought he ran it out very well. I was worried about the draw and obviously we were worried about the distance, so the plan was to sort of go forward and just see what happens. The main thing was to get him to relax and get onto the track.

"They went pretty quick in the first part and he didn’t actually begin that well. I had a bit of luck getting past the winning post. I snagged him straight back and got in.

"He did want to tug a bit, but he relaxed nice going down the back because the speed was a reasonable pace and when they took off at the 1000, 1100, 1200 it even helped me.

"As we got to the 800 he was absolutely bolting. I had a look at the horse in front of me and thought ‘you’re not taking me anywhere’, so I just popped him out three deep and just let him cruise up under his own steam. I think that was winning move and I was able to just help him early in the straight.

“After the Doomben Cup I think I realised he doesn't like the stick. it cost me $500. So I just sort of give him a backhand and just put it away straight away and I thought if I get beat without using it then so be it."

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Triple Honour): 3.60 out to 4.00 in to 3.80.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Trainer M. Moroney advised that Calatrava will be ridden in a more forward position today.

Connections advised that Vision And Power would be ridden more positively today with a view to taking up a more forward position than it has at its recent starts. The horse was ridden accordingly.

An inquiry into the reason for Attallus (C. Munce) being unnecessarily crowded for room near the winning post on the first occasion was adjourned to a date to be fixed.

In the early stages Newport (D. Nikolic) was inclined to pull when racing close to the heels of Frozone (G. Colless).

Leaving the 600m Newport raced in restricted room between Vickezzchardonnay (K. McEvoy) and Pagan Princess (B. Shinn) and as a result was unable to improve its position until near the 400m.

Baughurst (D. Dunn) was held up and unable to improve rounding the home turn until a point leaving the 300m.

Just after straightening Raffaello (S. Arnold) had to be steadied and shifted across the heels of Newport to find running and go forward.

About the 300m Frozone was momentarily unbalanced when awkward between Vision And Power(J. Cassidy) and Cabeza (D. Oliver).

A post-race veterinary examination of Attalus revealed that it was lame in the off-fore fetlock and had lost its near-fore plate.

More articles