KEY POINTS:
Mick Price and Damien Oliver completed unfinished business with the Sandown Guineas yesterday when Schilling avenged a narrow defeat eight years ago for the trainer and jockey combination.
Price said it was payback time for when Chattanooga, ridden by Oliver, was beaten in a photo-finish by Over in the 1600m feature in 1999.
The trainer feared history was going to repeat itself when Schilling was under pressure to get past Masked Assassin in the last 100 metres, but in a punishing finish Oliver got the best out of the Bianconi colt who got home by a half-neck.
"I was just saying [to myself] don't do this to me again," Price said.
"Don't run second and be beaten in a photo again."
Wind Shear ran the best race of his career and finished a short neck away third while the Lee Freedman-trained Electromotive was fourth.
The disappointment of the race was the Freedman-trained Belcentra, the favourite and the only filly in the field, who finished sixth while stablemate Raeburn was eighth.
Price paid A$42,000 ($49,845) at the Melbourne Premier Sale for Schilling and retained 10 per cent after syndicating the colt, who has a stakes-winning American pedigree.
Yesterday's victory was Schilling's third from six starts after earlier victories at Ballarat in April and Cranbourne last month.
Last start he rose sharply in class and, ridden by Oliver for the first time, finished second to Zacroona in the Carbine Club Stakes at Flemington.
Oliver, whose other winners yesterday were Escadaire and Star Rose, said Schilling had the potential to make an impact in the autumn in races like the Australian Guineas.
- AAP
