A GLITTERING DAY OUT AT THE JEWEL RACEDAY FOR THE TONY AND MADDYSEN SEARS TRAINING PARTNERSHIP

By Graham Potter | Saturday, March 9, 2024

The Jewel Raceday, hosted by the Gold Coast turf Club on March 9, provided the backdrop for a very satisfying double for the Tony and Maddysen Sears / Angela Jones trainer, jockey combination.

While the stable was not represented in either of the two main feature races, Goldeel and Red Top did the Sears team proud when landing a Class 6 Handicap over 1700m and the Quality Gold Coast Stakes over 1800m respectively.

While both were obviously pleasing results, the fact that Goldeel went on with it again here, carrying her last start winning form into the contest to make it two wins in a row, was an important confirmation of the fact that the daughter of Dundeel now seems very much back on track in terms of finding the type of winning touch which at one stage looked likely to propel her through the grades in double quick time.

Angela Jones, who also rode Goldeel in her previous win (over 1700m in a Class 3 at Doomben ten days earlier) gave Goldeel ($7.50) a peach of a ride here.

Barrier number seven in a field of ten was always going to take some managing, and Jones negotiated the first step there, getting Goldeel out well at the jump. Pushing forward, Jones then went looking for the lead, but did that in a measured fashion before getting to the front as the field entered the back straight.

Once in that position, it became a case of how well Jones could rate her mount from the front and how well Goldeel would respond when placed under pressure.
Approaching the home turn, Jones set about asking questions of her opposition herself, urging Goldeel along in front now and setting a more lively target than when coasting down the back straight, and the Sears runner turned into the home straight a length in front, but with a line of horses ready to charge in behind her.

Charge they did ... with particular threats emerging on either side of Goldeel ... Petunia ($17) sneaking up along the inside running rail ... and Bettcha The Crown (the $4.80 favourite) roaring up just to the outside of Goldeel.

And that pressure stayed on Goldeel all the way to the line.

In fact, at the 180m, it looked like Bettcha The Crown was going to go right past Goldeel ... and then again, over the concluding stages ... but Goldeel and Jones were totally in sync with only the thought of victory in mind.

It is well known that some jockeys can get some horses to find an extra couple of lengths somehow ... and Jones and Goldeel were a case in point here.

Goldeel just refused to relinquish the lead and, although Bettcha The Crown put in one last lunge to bring the winning margin down to a whisker, it was a case of mission accomplished for Goldeel, Jones and the Sears team.
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Just two races after Goldeel had saluted in the second race on the card on the Jewel Raceday at the gold Coast on March 9, the Tony and Maddysen Sears stable had a double in the bank when Red Top ($5.50) arrived with a late flourish finishing right over the top of them to relegate the $2.80 race favourite Daytona Bay, who had looked a likely winner 100m out, into second place.

Those following the form closely enough would have noted that Red Top had been beaten by 1.17 lengths by his stable companion Goldeel in his last start in which jumped as the $2.80 favourite.

That was third-up and, with Goldeel winning again earlier on the card, that result contained a warning of sorts that there was possibly something more to come from Red Top,

As with Goldeel earlier, Red Top received no favours from the barrier draw (eleven out of twelve) and this time Angela Jones would take Red Top back and let him find his feet in his own time.

That meant Red Top settled third last, eight to nine lengths off the lead as the field went down the back straight.

Jones remained patient taking Red Top along at a comfortable gallop, until she asked her mount to get closer in the approach to the home turn.

That meant tracking all of five wide coming to the turn, where Red Top straightened with six horses ahead of him and still all of six lengths to make up ... and now Jones asked the Sears runner to well and truly go through his gears.

Once Jones balanced him up, Red Top’s response was as immediate as it was impressive.

At the 200m mark Red Tops had cut the deficit to a little over four lengths and was coming on strong.

At that stage, the main fancy Daytona Bay was about to take the measure of the long-time leader Stuck With You (although that fight would continue all the way to the line) and, with Seat Of Power ($31), who looked to be full of running, stuck in a dead-end and unable to improve between Daytona Boy and Stuck with You without changing course, Red Top, with clear running, now had a clear target in his sights.

Red Top finished with all guns blazing to shoot down Daytona Bay in the final strides to win by 0.25 lengths.

This was Red Top’s fourth career victory and the Top Echelon gelding has now banked $332 535 in prize-money.

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