QUIET achiever BEN MELHAM showed on Saturday why he’s the ‘go-to’ jockey in Victoria for the powerful Chris Waller stable when the world’s best James McDonald can’t ride in two places.
Melham landed a Group 1 double with BIRDMAN $6 in the Underwood Stakes & ANGEL CAPITAL $5 in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes justifying what LGHR has believed for a long time that, given the same opportunities, Ben is as good as any jockey in the country.
Perhaps we are talking through our pockets after declaring BIRDMAN & ANGEL CAPITAL value specials in our LGHR LATE MAIL which taking best odds would have netted clients close to $60 for those prepared to take the double.
Our colleague Phil Purser went a step further advising his clients on the SATURDAY MORNING MAIL not only to back BIRDMAN but to take the punt on the horse starting in the Caulfield Cup and to jump on early and punt him at $34 the win & $9 the place with the TAB. After the Underwood win he is $15 & $4.50.
Melham tracked the heavily-backed favorite Cosmic Crusader $2.25 to the turn then gave it windburn on Birdman when they straightened for home. For some of us it was quiet justice for ‘Willie the Wanker’ Pike after he got a burr in his saddle after some criticism of his ride on Cosmic Crusader in the G1 Memsie when an unlucky third.
Pike should worry about his own tactics and stop criticizing form analysts and those who some trainers prefer to have do ‘map reading’ for them that Willie thinks is none of their business. He’s better suited running the show in WA where he gets the pick of the rides which allows him to overshadow his fellow jockeys.
AS usual the Sydney racing media had plenty to say about Lindermann $3 heading to Melbourne before the Group 1 but there’s been a wall of silence since the horse ran the worst race of his career finishing last of nine and almost nine lengths behind stablemate Birdman.
Jockey Blake Shinn told Stewards the gelding was not comfortable racing in an anti-clockwise direction and was disappointing. A post-race veterinary examination did not reveal any significant findings. A sample was taken for analysis.
Stable representative Darren Beadman concurred with the views of Shinn that Lindermann did not appear to travel comfortably in the anti-clockwise direction. Beadman added that the stable will assess Lindermann in in the days subsequent, with consideration given to the transfer of the gelding back to the Sydney stable. Stewards will follow up with the stable.
Not everyone was surprised by the Lindermann flop. One major betting organization offered a special $5 bet for those wanting to back the horse. Perhaps the Stewards should have ordered Waller to trial Lindermann before it races again because if it comes out next start and wins in Sydney, it will be a massive form reversal.
Before the race Waller was talking Lindermann up as a Cox Plate candidate. On Saturday’s run it wouldn’t win a Cunnamulla Maiden. And there are those saying the way the horse raced justified the decision of regular jockey Nash Rawiller to stay in Sydney. But if he did that to ride Gringotts in the G2 Seven Stakes that was way off the mark.
Gringotts $12, seen as the main threat to Horse of the Year Autumn Glow, ran last while the winner hardly performed like a $1.16 chance despite proving too classy. Stewards had nothing to report after the 7 Stakes so the disappointing run of Gringotts didn’t surprise them or it was afternoon tea time.
All is forgiven with ANGEL CAPITAL which should have won the Rupert Clarke last year. Waller has persevered wanting to win a Group 1 for Yu Long since they purchased the horse for what is believed to have been $4mn. He was originally bought as a yearling for clients of original trainer Clint McDonald for $400,000.
Melham started his association with the horse back then and Waller has kept him on for some of the five-year-old’s starts since including a third in the G1 Newmarket at Flemington in March. But Caulfield is his favorite track where Angel Capital has now won six starts at Saturday’s trip.
The Waller domination of the Group races continued in Sydney and Melbourne on Saturday and chances are punters can expect more of the same with the countdown well and truly underway to the bigger races of the Spring Carnival. He just has the numbers to do it.
