Racing: Learning to let go of reins

Richard Otto

Richard Otto admits a slightly strange feeling will sweep over him at 7pm tomorrow.

Around that time champion trainer Lee Freedman will be walking Danny Nikolic's saddle for Sphenophyta's from the weighing room to the saddling enclosure.

That's something Otto would have been doing himself if he and his racing partner had not sold 60 per cent of Sphenophyta to clients of Freedman's stable.

It's not always easy for a trainer to have a horse he owns prepared by another trainer.

"Actually, the first time Sphenophyta raced here felt the strangest because he'd left me only three weeks before," said Otto as he packed a bag in readiness for the flight to Melbourne today to see Sphenophyta run in tomorrow's A$2.5 million ($2.8 million) Caulfield Cup.

"It's what you dream of to saddle horses for races like this, but each time since it's been easier."

Otto says there will be absolutely no regrets that he and his partner sold more than half the horse if Sphenophyta gets over the line first in the famous race.

And it's hard to find someone who doesn't think he will.

The moment Sphenophyta scored a must-win victory in the A$500,000 Turnbull Stakes at weight-for-age, he became one of the shortest priced early Caulfield Cup favourites in a couple of decades.

The reason - he drops 8kg to 50kg and the 1kg Danny Nikolic will ride the former New Zealander overweight will make little difference.

When he was beaten by fellow New Zealander Empyreal in the Caloundra Cup in the middle of the year Sphenophyta was at $100 with Melbourne's Dome Bet to win the Caulfield Cup.

"The minute we got the news that the Lee Freedman stable was looking to buy him he dropped into $33 and he hasn't stopped shortening since," said Dome Bet's Brian Taylor.

Yesterday Sphenophyta was quoted at 7/2 ($3.50) and was in to $24 to win the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.

"When we first opened the books back in February you could have got $500 about him winning both cups."

It wasn't just that Sphenophyta carried a lot more weight to win the Turnbull, it was the way he did it.

Resenting the very slow pace that day, he fought hard against Nikolic, who eventually had to give the horse his head, allowing him to slide up alongside the leader.

At weight-for-age few horses can lead into the home straight in the middle of the track and repel the challengers from both sides.

Sphenophyta did and beat the opposition squarely.

Caulfield Cups are always run at pace and the up tempo of the race will help Sphenophyta settle better than he did in the Turnbull Stakes.

Not even what appears to be a false scare into Sphenophyta's health mid-week can dent the confidence around his chances in tomorrow's big race.

On Tuesday Glen Munsie from the NSW TAB went on air and declared that Sphenophyta had pulled up badly from his Tuesday gallop.

Amidst an uproar, Freedman countered that it was nonsense and the heat went on to Munsie to the point where he retracted the statement, even before Otto had heard it from the rumour mill.

"I didn't hear about it until Tuesday night and when I did I knew there was nothing in it because the stable over there called me soon after the gallop and told me the horse had worked very, very well.

"The Freedman stable has been marvellous with its communications and I knew they'd have told me if something had been wrong."

Even the barrier draw of No8 (he should start from No7) appears to be perfect for Sphenophyta and in Nikolic he has the ideal big-race rider. Nikolic's temperament is bombproof when the big money is on the line.

Otto said sitting in the grandstand as the Cup field appears in the birdcage will feel just fine.

"It wasn't an easy decision to sell part of him, but when we did we said well, let's sit back and enjoy the ride. So far its been one flippin' good ride."


A$2.8m cup bid

* Former New Zealander Sphenophyta is a hot favourite to win one of the spring carnival gems at Caulfield tomorrow.
* Four months ago Sphenophyta was at $100 to win the Caulfield Cup.
* He will start around $3.50 favourite tomorrow.


Odds

$3.50 Sphenophyta
$6 Our Smoking Joe
$6.50 Zipping
$7 Growl
$11 Serenade Rose, Activation
$13 Railings
$14 Tawqeet
$17 Grand Zulu
$20 Headturner, Imperial Stride, Pop Rock
$25 Aqua D'amore