Race Result:

1st: Libertad (A Neasham/C Schofield) - $5.50
2nd: Saltaire (J O'Shea/J McDonald) - $4.60
3rd: Barber (J Cummings/H Bowman) - $3.90F

Winning Time: 1:05.87 Last 600m: 35.36

Margins: Long Head x 3¾L

Libertad fought back and got the better of Saltaire.

He's now 2/2 and Group 3 Kindergarten Stakes winner! @SchofieldChad @ANeashamRacing pic.twitter.com/QVbWqZxJ8v

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 1, 2023

 

Winning Trainer: Annabel Neasham

On backing up after ten days: "We rolled the dice, we knew we had a quality colt. He hit the front a little way out and got headed by what I thought was very much the main danger."

"He was having his second start ten days off his first start, which isn't something I normally do, I like to give them a bit longer at the beginning of their prep."

"But it was just the way the calendar fell so we rolled the dice, he's a really smart colt."

On the fighting effort: "I just love the way he knuckled down and fought back. He was only having his second start against a reasonably good field, so loads of upside."

"She's a really good filly, Saltaire (runner-up), and she got her head in front and he fought back. It's a sign of a horse with a good heart on him." 

On the connections: "It's great for Trilogy. It's a real thrill to win a stakes race with a colt because a lot of good horses have won this race and onwards and upwards." 

On handling the wet conditions: "I wasn't sure he'd like the wet, his gallop Tuesday on the wet track wasn't as good so I wasn't liking the rain that I saw but he's very classy. 

On what's next: "We'll just see how he is, whether we go to Brisbane or whether we put him away and bring him back as a three-year-old."

"I think he's got a very bright future." 

Winning Jockey: Chad Schofield

On the run: "He's a really nice horse. I must be honest I was a little bit concerned about the track after he won on a good track on debut, but he handled it really well. He jumped nice and held a prominent position. The second horse (Saltaire) quickened a bit sharper and put a margin on us, but to my guy's credit he came through his gears nice and he was strong late."

On handling the track conditions: "He handled it quite well. It feels pretty heavy."

"We booted up from an inside gate. I didn't let them cross me because I could see it was ripping up and there would be a lot of kickback which we didn't really want on a two-year-old. So I held the fence, burrowed through and brought him through his gears and he was strong late."

On taking the next steps: "It was a big step up in grade, to come out of a mid-week maiden and win a Group race like this against some really proven two-year-olds. We thought he could do it, he's shown us a lot at home and happy to get the job done."

Beaten Jockeys:

Hugh Bowman (Barber): "He ran really well on a heavy track."

Ben Melham (Zulfiqar): "Didn't handle the track at all from the moment it hit the ground."

Brett Prebble (Introducing): "Not an easy horse at this point. Just won't help in any way. Makes it a little bit tricky."

Brenton Avdulla (Tumbling): "He ran really well. He struggled through the ground when they quickened but back on top of the ground, he'll win a nice race."

Joao Moreira (Fludway): "Probably just didn't quite bring his best. Track is getting worse and worse."

Ryan Maloney (Rimbaud): "Really felt the pinch in those trying conditions."

James McDonald (Saltaire): "Superb effort. She is a bonny little filly who tries her best."

Reece Jones (Destructive Diva): "Honest little performance. Only second start but is improving."

Dylan Gibbons (More Than A Star): "Nice horse. Just not now."