Don't dismiss Star Satire for the 1000 Guineas because she was beaten at Ellerslie on Saturday.
The run was a lot better than it looked.
At least four factors worked against the class filly, beaten only a neck and a long head.
"It was her first try at 1600m and she got going a bit too keenly," said rider Reese Jones.
"Then she saw daylight for about 150m and that made it worse."
Star Satire looked certain to still win when she ranged up to the leaders at the 300m, full of running and with Jones sitting still on her. But she ran out of condition in the last 75m.
"She wasn't beaten because it was 1600m. She will have no problem with the 1600m at Riccarton," said Jones.
* * *
Reese Jones put a positive spin on dashing Ellerslie winner Prince Ottwood stumbling at the start and nearly falling.
In fact, he feels it probably won him the race.
Prince Ottwood settled 20 lengths off the speed, coming with a sustained late sprint to win.
"He's been racing handy and grinding well in his races. As a result of getting back this time he relaxed and when I asked to go forward he really sprinted."
Jones was certain he was about to end up on the track when Prince Ottwood stumbled badly as the barriers opened.
"I was gone for sure, but I got a leg hooked over her neck and when he came back up again I managed to pull myself back into the saddle."
Jones says fear played a big part in his survival - earlier this year a track accident saw him spend six months sidelined with three breaks in his left leg.
"I was too scared to fall off."
* * *
Prince Ottwood is likely to eliminate the pain Otto is feeling over the death two weeks ago of his talented handicapper The Warrior, who was heading to the Melbourne Cup.
"That was a hell of a shock. The worst of it is he was my best mate. It was like losing your best friend.
"This year was going to be his year and he was going huge."
Saturday was the first firm track Prince Ottwood has struck and the $8000 yearling purchase produced his best effort.
Otto will keep Prince Ottwood racing until he tells him he's had enough for this preparation.
Prince Ottwood and the now spelling Likely Story will add to the depleted ranks of top handicappers next year and so will another winner on Saturday, Sir Alexis.
Murray Baker has a lot of time for the 4-year-old who has yet to race past 1600m.
"He grinds a bit too much for the 1600m today, but he got away with it," said Baker, who relocated to Cambridge from Woodville three weeks ago.
Baker paid $A8000 for Sir Alexis at an Adelaide yearling sale.
"He's got the Sir Tristram blood through his sire Military Plume. It might be watered down, but it's still pretty potent blood."
Central Districts apprentice Andrew Calder was suspended for three racedays for pushing out sharply at the 600m on Sir Alexis.
* * *
Jim Gibbs does not mind admitting he gave Rachael Tunnell a tune-up after riding Jaiapeno at Ellerslie two weeks ago.
Tune up might be a bit tame to describe the verbal.
"I actually sacked her for this race," said Gibbs candidly after Jaiapeno took an eye-catching win in the $18,000 Kings Arms Tavern Sprint at Ellerslie.
"I offered Lance O'Sullivan the ride, but he decided to go to Trentham, then I missed out on another couple of senior jockeys, so Rachael got the ride back after admitting she did things wrong last time."
The result was perfect, but only after Gibbs ran an Olympic-rated 100m as the field was leaving the birdcage.
Gibbs had told Tunnell to trail the natural pacemaker Madhuri Dixit, but when he saw that horse crash heavily in the parade ring and realised she would be withdrawn he knew he had only seconds to change the tactics.
"Lead on him, lead on him," Gibbs managed to shout at Tunnell in time after sprinting into the birdcage.
Those tactics worked well and this time Tunnell did her job admirably.
Gibbs was thinking of Ellerslie's big sprint double, the Newmarket and Railway handicaps, immediately afterwards.
But he needed to talk to his Auckland-based Asian owners, who travelled overseas on Saturday morning.
"I had Idol for them and after he finished third in the Derby in December they sent him to Hong Kong and he's been very successful there.
"I don't know if they want this horse to go there."
* * *
Frank Ritchie went home on Saturday night to burn his new corporate tie.
Six weeks ago stable client Bon Todd decided to join the stable support team in Melbourne to cheer Showella home in Saturday's $A2 million Caulfield Cup and design and provide corporate ties in the Ritchie green colours.
"Everyone was booked to go to Melbourne and still went, the only problem was the horse had to come home," said Ritchie.
Ritchie was blaming the ties for his horror run of luck at the weekend.
First, class filly Playful Fingers dropped right out in the Desert Gold Stakes at Trentham after leading for Michael Walker. Next Bluebird The Word failed to raise anything like a proper gallop in the $100,000 Captain Cook Stakes, improving a few places after tailing off last.
"He was flying in training yet suddenly he couldn't get out of his own way."
Things were worse at Ellerslie.
Well-fancied Nobodywantsme got hooked up with a leg over a rail in the parade ring.
"I wanted to scratch her, but the vet said she was okay to run. She went a good race given the circumstances."
Ritchie felt Madhuri Dixit could win the $18,000 open sprint, but the mare was withdrawn after flipping over and bruising her stifle in the parade ring.
"I can't believe the day I've had - I thought all four horses could win."
The only certain thing Ritchie knew was that a red wine was to be consumed when he got home.
"But that won't be until after I burn this tie."
Racing: Star Satire still rates as Guineas prospect
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