Australia’s best rider Nash Rawiller proved a point at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Rawiller gave up the ride on the favourite, Prince Harada in the $1 million Golden Rose in Sydney to partner former import Fiorente in the Group 2 $300,000 Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes at Moonee Valley.
All week he had been singing the praises of Fiorente heading towards the Cox Plate and the Melbourne Cup.
He said on Friday that he had never had a better chance of winning the Melbourne Cup than with Fiorente.
But no-one expected the horse to come out and do what he did to win the race formerly known as the Feehan Stakes.
“I was confident a long way out although it obviously didn’t look like that,” Rawiller said.
“I was able to keep him balanced and he’s a pretty adaptable horse, he handled the Valley fine,” Rawiller said.
Fiorente was near last and about eight horses wide turning for home and yet somehow he managed to charge down the outside and win the race.
“He’s something pretty special – so very strong and as his races get further he’ll get better,” Rawiller said.
When quizzed whether the horse could win the Cox Plate on his way to the Melbourne Cup, Rawiller simply said:
“I didn’t give up the Golden Rose rides for nothing.”
– TVN
