Market mover pre-race Athelric ($5) for team Godolphin and James Cummings have taken out the 2022 edition of The Warra (1000m) worth $300,000 at Kembla Grange on Saturday afternoon.
After an expert steer by young apprentice Zac Lloyd, Athelric was placed perfectly in the run box seating the entire race from barrier four, finding the one-by-one before getting off leaders back heading for home to score nicely.
This gelding by Exceed And Excel firmed from $7 into $5 with online bookmakers with plenty of admirers, and raced up to the market push holding off fast finishing Key Largo and Dragonstone who hit the line strong from well back in the field.
The Warra 2022 Replay
After two forgivable runs at Flemington, getting back to NSW with some strategic placement from team Godolphin has seen the best of this four-year-old yet again, after going against class gallopers Eduardo in The Concorde first-up before running into Nature Strip in The Shorts.
The race didn't initial pan out how speed map followers may have expected with market favourite Malkovich missing the start two lengths, allowing Remlaps Gem to slide across from the wide draw and take up the running.
Athelric racing in front of Malkovich the entire race was unexpected but seemed to mean the undoing of the market elect, while Athelric was able to kick clear of his rivals turning for home, pinching a good enough break to victory.
Paul Reed representing team Godolphin spoke glowingly about Athelric post-race.
”He's a very quick horse Athelric which he showed then to come out in front of Malkovich like that, and even Remlaps Gem he's a fast horse too, but he went with them early then he (Lloyd) brought him back behind them and saved himself something at the end,” he said.
The track at Kembla Grange on Saturday seems to be playing to horses down the middle lanes of the track as well, which Reed alluded to.
“It looks like you just want to be in the middle of the straight and we've just been watching it all day.”
“We've had no luck earlier in the day, our horses have just got too far back and just had too much to do, while this fellows put right on pace and done everything right.”
“He was well placed today and probably a little drop in grade and his timing was spot on for today.”
Zac Lloyd was able to reap the rewards of stable regular James McDonald in Hong Kong and was very thankful for his opportunities on Saturday.
“Big thank you to the whole team James (Cummings) and Darren (Beadman) they've all put their trust in me on a big day like today, and I've got a lot of nice rides – especially him, he's a lovely horse, he just got the job done perfectly today,” said Lloyd.
“It was one of those races where it just looked like it was going pan out perfectly – and when you're on a professional like that he sort of get the job done himself.”
“He's a nice horse – he's good at executing his job.”
“Big thanks to James (Cummings) he's a genius and I'm just happy he's support me on day's like this.”
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