The following is Gai Waterhouse’s latest blog on the weekend winners :
Certitude
Certitude means to absolutely believe that something is true; and I absolutely believe that Star Thoroughbreds Certitude (Not a Single Doubt x Debutante Robe) will be very hard to beat on the Gold Coast in January. Her win in race one on Saturday at Rosehill was very satisfying for me personally, but also because so many of the wonderful Star owners were at the track. There is nothing better than seeing the joy displayed by owners when their horse wins with such authority as Certitude did.
This was a high pressure two-year-old race and after being challenged near the lead for the majority of the race, Certitude dashed away to record a breathtaking victory. Her last 100m was amazing and she had every right to get a touch tired, but she just kept getting further ahead, and eventually won by an even five lengths. What a professional win from this two-year-old. She went to the gates very relaxed, jumped wonderfully and sat outside the leader. Then we all saw what happened, she just sprinted away.
A wonderful win and a great way for Tommy Berry to start a successful day. Again, it was so lovely to see so many happy Star Thoroughbreds owners at the track, and it is full steam ahead to the Gold Coast and the Magic Millions two-year-old Classic.
Travolta
Travolta (Handsome Ransom x Belongs in Lights) is so wonderfully named. Have a look at
his breeding, the iconic John Travolta is clearly handsome and he obviously belongs in lights.
The gelding named after the famed Hollywood actor shares some similar qualities, mainly the ability to dance his way through a field and stick his head out for the photo. This gelding showed potential in New Zealand without grabbing a lot of attention, but since coming to our stable, he has simply flourished. Has was a raw horse when he first arrived in Australia, but since then he has just kept thriving.
I said after the race that he looked an ideal Summer Cup horse, and my opinion is the same today after we have let the dust settle. Travolta is a stayer in the making, and to win first up over 1300m is a great indication of the late sprint this horse has. We all know that in recent years a grinding stayer now finds it hard to win feature staying races. A horse has to have gears and a sprint. Travolta displayed his very nicely on Saturday.
Halfway up the straight, Travolta looked like he was happy enough running along with the other horses; but after a multitude of bumps and some good jockey work from Tommy, Travolta put his mind on the job and attacked the line. The best part of his race was his last 100m, and this indicates that he will love more distance in his races. Travolta is really in for a good preparation, and the stable is most excited.
Kinnersley
I simply cannot wipe the smile off my face since Kinnersley, the Star Thoroughbreds six-year-old gelding, won the Goulburn Cup. This win caps off a wonderful weekend for Denise and the Star Thoroughbreds team, as well as providing a huge thrill for Kinnersley’s dedicated owners. After needing the run first up, Kinnersley (Al Maher x Miss Radiant) managed to weave a clear passage in the straight at Goulburn and record a thrilling victory in the Cup. I love these country towns and their local cup meetings. The whole town turns out and they make for a great day. Kinnersley was top weight and carried 59kg on a 54kg minimum. That is a bigger spread of weights than most recent Caulfield Cups.
Tommy Berry looked confident all the way up the straight and when he eventually found a clear passage, Kinnersley showed all his heart and his desire to score a narrow win. But the margin in this case is not important, especially when we reflect upon the 59kg. He carried 2.5kg more than the second top weighted horse and 5kg more than the runner up. This was a supreme effort from a most consistent galloper.
Again, I am so thrilled for all Kinnersley’s owners. He is a six-year-old, but he is very lightly raced, so he still has a lot of racing in front of him. We will get him back to Sydney, have a good look at him and decided what is next.
Source : www.gaiwaterhouse.com.au
