Desleigh Forster was adamant in her instructions to Jim Byrne before the $700,000 Kingsford-Smith Cup – don’t go slow.
And those instructions worked a treat as Byrne piloted Apache Chase to victory from barrier four in the 1300m sprint feature at Eagle Farm.
The four-year-old gelding hung on to win by one-fifth of a length on the line.
2022 Kingsford-Smith Cup Replay
“I said to J Byrne ‘don’t go slow – use his speed and use his gate. Get to the straight and let him go. If they’re good enough to pass him, good. If they’re not, too bad’,” Forster told Sky Racing.
Forster struggled to find the words to describe her elation after winning her first Group 1 race.
“He (Apache Chase) means the world to me now,” she said.
“I’ve only got a small team – I could name them all on one hand.
“This is for everyone.
“My mum would be ecstatic. She’d be sitting on the couch crying.”
Apache Chase already boasted a very good resume.
Last year he saluted in the Rogue Plate, Daybreak Lover, Fred Best Classic, Nudgee College Old Boys’ Cup and The Gateway all at Eagle Farm, as well as the Weetwood Handicap at Toowoomba.
But Group 1 success eluded him – until Saturday.
Forster always believed Apache Chase could finally win a race at that level for himself and his connections.
“I dared to dream and I thought if a horse could win me a Group 1 this horse would,” she said.