VICTORY OF FIRSTS FOR LEES AND THOMPSON AT NEWCASTLE
IT was a victory of firsts when smart mare, Absolutelyfabulous, won the Group 3 Patinack Farm Cameron Handicap, 1400m, at Newcastle today.
This was the first time that local trainer Kris Lees and champion jockey Robert Thompson had won the Broadmeadow feature.
Absolutelyfabulous, $7, burst through late to score a length win from the Stradbroke Handicap winner, Black Piranha, $3.70 favorite, with a neck to McClintock, $10, in third place.
“Winning this race means a lot to me and to do it with Robert makes it extra special,” Lees said. “Robert rode her a treat. He saved ground when he needed to and exposed her at the right time. She doesn’t win too often but she’s a very good mare and this win is richly deserved.”
Thompson told how he had waited 35 years to finally capture a feature race that had eluded him. “It has taken me 35 years to win the Cameron. That’s why I didn't retire after I broke the record (for most number of winners). I don't have any plans to retire now.”
In July of last year Thompson eclipsed the record set by Jack Thompson for the most number of winners ridden in Australia and last season booted home another 100.
Thompson was forced to revert to plan B aboard Absolutelyfabulous on Wednesday after she missed the start slightly.
“The plan that Kris and I worked out was to have her about midfield,” Thompson said. “However, after getting away slowly, I let her settle back near the tail of the field. Then the gaps started to come and I just hung on. She went through them on her own.”
Lees plans to now set Absolutelyfabulous for the G1 Myer Classic, 1600m, at Flemington on October 31, the race she finished second behind Forensics in last year.
Black Piranha was gallant in his comeback defeat and trainer Con Karakatsanis was happy with the effort of his Cox Plate bound galloper but offered no excuses. “When it counted the 60kg just blunted his sprint but I couldn’t be happier with how he went. He’s on track to run in the George Main next and then we’ll go to Melbourne.”
