Beauty's Beast thwarts Waller's team at Rosehill
Beauty’s Beast returned to the winner’s circle to deny Chris Waller's brigade in a Benchmark 95 Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
The Danny O’Brien-trained Beauty’s Beast struggled to produce his best form in four runs in Victoria as a change of direction and softer ground were the two leading contributors to the talented four-year-old gelding claiming the prize on Saturday.
Heading into the event it appeared that Waller had a stranglehold on the race as he prepared five of the eight runners with You’ll Never ($2.60F), Amovatio ($3.50), Pythagorean ($10), Black Jag ($20) and Hoylonny ($71) representing the leading Sydney trainer.
O’Brien’s gelding triumphed by the smallest of margins as he held on to defeat Amovatio and Pythagorean in a close finish to the event.
The son of Guillotine had to earn the victory as he did it at both ends of the race with winning jockey James McDonald believing he would have scored in an easier fashion if he had of been able to find the rail.
“They made me do it the hard way and he was still too good,” McDonald said post-race.
“If he could have found the fence he would have won easily.”
It is no secret that the gelding has performed better when racing in the clockwise direction. He scored at Royal Randwick in April when a comfortable two length winner of the $150,000 McGrath South Pacific Classic (1400m).
O’Brien will send Beauty’s Beast to the paddock with plans to target the latter end of the Sydney Autumn Carnival prior to a trip to Queensland.
“It was a good effort, he had to do it at both ends,” O’Brien told RSN.
“They didn’t give James much peace early in the race, he really had to work for the first three furlongs (600m) to get him across to the lead and he tackled strongly at the finish.
“He’ll have a little break now and after what we learnt yesterday he will probably target the back-end of the Sydney carnival and then up to Queensland.”
Saturday’s victory was Beauty’s Beast’s sixth from 14 career starts with the former Kiwi galloper having eight starts in his homeland prior to heading to Australia.
Blake Shinn, jockey of You’ll Never, said that the favourite was plain and wasn’t able to offer any excuse for his fourth placing.
“He travelled like the winner, I believe I was in the right spot, coming to the turn I was thinking to myself to just be patient and not hit the front too soon,” Shinn told Racing Network.
“But when I asked for an effort he just didn’t sprint.
“Maybe those runs early in his prep when he has charged from the back has taken a little toll, I’m not sure.”
By Trent Orwin, story & photo appear on Racingbase.com, to view full story click here