Superstar jockey James McDonald has burnished his legend all over the world – but prior to Anzac Day he had yet to ride a winner in South Australia.
Jordan Childs had just ridden his 1000th winner not so long ago. But he was still waiting, eight years after landing his first ever group 1 win on Written By in the Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield, to land another.
By the end of an exciting, thrilling and well supported afternoon in Adelaide, both men had notched those milestone victories and both men had ridden two winners apiece on a card many were saying might have been the strongest seen in SA for many a year.
Admittedly the Sydney based McDonald is not a frequent visitor to Morphetville: like so many of the nation’s top hoops he only tends to head to SA for its three rich autumn carnival meetings so his opportunities have, of necessity been rare.
Although rare is a relative adjective for a rider of his stature, as wherever the man now known universally as J-Mac arrives on a racetrack he invariably is offered a book of well fancied hopes.
And that is exactly how it was on his trip to Morphetville for the first of the three million dollar racedays hosted in the SA capital, when the Australasian Oaks and the Robert Sangster Stakes were the two group one features.
On an excellent card they were backed up by the group two Tobin Bronze Stakes and Queen of the South Stakes and the group 3 John Hawkes Stakes, named for one of Adelaide’s most famous racing identities who began his career in SA before relocating with great success to Sydney and Melbourne.
At times it felt as though this meeting might have been staged at Flemington or Randwick, such were the number of interstate visitors who thronged the mounting yard area – but SA racing executives, while always barracking for a local hero, would probably have it no other way.
With McDonald, the Melhams Ben and Jamie, Craig Williams, Mark Zahra, Black Caviar’s partner Luke Nolen and four time Melbourne Cup winner Kerrin McEvoy booked for rides and the nation’s two biggest trainers, Ciaron Maher and Chris Waller also making the trip south, there were plenty of racing celebrities for the locals to cheer for.
Fields were numerically and qualitatively strong – always good for turnover – and with a mixture of well fancied contenders and long shots obliging there were chances for both serious form students and pinstickers to make money.
Those who punted on McDonald would have been on good terms with themselves after he notched a double in the group one Australasian Oaks aboard the Chris Waller trained Panova preceded by his success on the Hayes brothers Tycoon Star in the Tobin Bronze.
The latter was a well supported $3.50 chance with the TAB but Panova returned at the generous price of $11.80, ensuring a good profit for those who blindly followed the Kiwi on his rides on the day.
Panova had enjoyed a good spring when she was successful at group 3 level over 1400 metres and 1600 metres at Randwick and Flemington, but she had drawn a blank in three starts in Sydney during the autumn.
But she relished the chance to race left handed once again and showed that 2000 metres was no problem when she finished well to see off the Jamie Melham ridden local hope Mating Call, with the Ciaron Maher/Craig Williams combination third with the lightly raced Paltrow Miss.
Trainer Chris Waller is never shy to express his feelings in the wake of a big race victory and this group 1 triumph brought him to within one of the double century mark for victories at the highest level. But it was the sense of occasion on this, one of the signature days of the Australian calendar, that struck him most.
”Anzac Day, I’m getting emotional,” he said, as he savoured the triumph.
“She took a while to get to full fitness, simple as that. We’ve just been behind the mark with each run, but she showed us enough last start that she’s pretty close to being back to her best. And she was back today.
”She’s very adaptable, a talented horse. But as I said, we started a long way behind the eight ball and she’s caught up now and she’ll train on from it, might even get to the Queensland Oaks.”
McDonald said he had few worries in the race.
“I ended up in a lovely spot from the the gate and was able to blend into the race really well. But what was the most influential part of the race was she relaxed, she switched off for a good 1,200 metres, so it was just about stoking her up. The favourites were on my inside and had them covered, but she’s a lovely filly.”
Of his first SA group 1 he too was effusive. ” “I’m rapt for it. I’m rapt to be here. You guys put on a great show. The track’s racing well. No, it’s just an honour to be here.
“And to win one of the nice Oaks, which I enjoy winning classics, they’re one of my favourites, rich in history and this race is no different.”
Forty odd minutes later it was Childs taking the plaudits after he got up in a blanket finish on the unconsidered long shot Geegees Mistruth to land a surprise in the group 1 Sangster Stakes for fillies and mares.
Neither Childs nor Ben Melham on narrow runner up Bridal Waltz was sure who had won – Childs quipped after that he looked up to see if the drone camera was following him – but it was the former Tasmanian trained four year old who got the verdict for the Cranbourne based Mark Walker stable.
Stable representative Ben Gleeson explained that the horse had come to the stable in the spring after starting her career in Tasmania.
”She came over in great order. Stuart Gandy had done all the work with her as a young horse and done a wonderful job, and then we acquired her through some mutual friends and a great connection now with that ownership group and we promised them we’d try and win a big one with her,”
They had hoped that might come in the Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield earlier this year, but she took no part in the contest.
“Her journey this spring and the autumn just sums up racing. It’s a lot of lows, but when the highs happen, they’re worth it.
”Credit to Jordy— he got his hands down in her neck and got the head down when it counted.”
Childs reflected that it had ”been a long time between drinks” between his two group 1 winenrs.
”I’ve had quite a few placings in between in the big group ones, and I was sort of hoping my second one would come a bit sooner, but anyway, I’m still very grateful for the ride and the connections. And, yeah, winning another group one, it’s great.”
“It worked out perfectly. She’s obviously a mare that can get quite up and about and do a few things wrong, but she was really relaxed today. She went down to the gates lovely, stood in there well. She began nicely out of there and I just wanted to ride her where she was really comfortable.
“I wasn’t sure (we had won) , and I was looking up the drone to see where it was going, and it was pretty close to me, but Mark Zahra was there as well (rider of third placed Charm Stone) , so I wasn’t sure if it was me and him, and then he said that I won. So, great to get it over the line.”
Childs, who is the son of former champion Victorian rider Greg Childs, reflected on having broken through the 1000 winner barrier. Many have come for Graham Begg, trainer of Written By, with whom he has built a strong and long standing relationship.
”It’s a lot of horses ridden and a lot of winners as well. So it doesn’t go without obviously having the right support and connections and owners and trainers behind me.”
Still, he acknowledged that he has some way to go to match his father’s group 1 tally.
“He got 72 Group 1 winners, so I’m 70 behind him now.”