Winning Horse: Tuvalu (Aus)
Winning Trainer: Lindsey Smith
“Done a wonderful job for the stable. It’s all about Jarrod and the horse today. The owners have been special people to me but just for Jarrod and all his hard work.
“All my fellow workers at home, it’s great. Especially Group 1s are what it is all about, isn’t it.
“He’s always felt like one day he’d win one of these. I’m glad it came sooner than later. The barrier helped and a perfect ride and the way the map worked out.
“Good to get it done.”
Possibly to the Railway: “That’s what I think the plan will be but I’ll discuss it and see where it takes us.
“But at 63-year-of-age you’ve got to savour these sorts of moments.”
Winning Jockey: Jarrod Fry
On last 400m thinking of a Group 1 win: “Throughout the run I was really happy with where we were and I was pretty confident that I was going to run those ones down in front. I just needed the line to come up. That feeling going past the line is like nothing else.”
Dreams of a Group 1: “You always dream of it. I’m very lucky that Lindsey has been backing me along with this ownership group. This is not just for me, but all of the staff have been good to me.”
“I could sit there for hours naming them all. I really enjoy working with them and it’s good to get the reward with them.
His own history: “When I was 16 I finished school and started at Weiry’s and didn’t know how to put a halter on so he taught he everything when I started riding a little pony bareback.
“Then progressed to gallops and trials and races. It’s just good to get a big one.
“I’ve been very lucky that Lindsey and his team have backed me. I’ve consistently good seasons winning the leading country rider but the city opprtuntiies have been very limited so obviously when I’ve been given the opportunity on this horse, I’ve taken it with both hands and it is good to get the result.”
Thanks: “I have to thank my wife. We have a farm with a fair few animals and this week I’ve been working on my weight pretty hard (getting down to) 53.5 (kilos) and she has taken the load with everything at home and just allowed me to do my thing.
“She rides every wave of every ride that you have with you and I’d be lost without her.”
Beaten jockeys:
Jamie Mott (Callsign Mav): “He got his tongue over the bit and really choked himself down today. It was a poor performance but a tongue tie will fix that.”
Tim Clark (Converge): “He passed a few up the straight. I would have expected him to do a bit more though.”
Jason Holder (Dalasan): “We had the favourite inside us on the corner and I thought we were going OK, but his last 150 (metres) was disappointing.”
James McDonald (Laws Of Indices): “That was a very, very good performance. He just took me a bit to get back. I had to wrestle with him and he got about four furlongs breather into him and he let rip beautifully. The performance was as good as a winning one without the result.”
Luke Nolen (I Wish I Win): “Ran good. Just hard to make ground here today.”
Craig Williams (Hilal): “We had a beautiful run from the nice barrier but once I placed him under pressure he failed to respond to my riding.”
Daniel Stackhouse (Buffalo River): “He had a tough run.”
Jye McNeil (Gentleman Roy): “He went fantastic. He was traveling so well that in the end I went too early but he stuck on great.”
Craig Newitt (Bankers Choice): “He ran well. He’s probably just below the Group 1 horses.”
Jamie Kah (Military Expert): “Fantastic run. He’s just stepping up each time. A really good effort.”
Linda Meech (Noname Lane): “He was really good. I think back on to a bigger track he’ll go a lot better.”
Michael Dee (Pinstriped): “He ran well again, but I feel like I’ve felt a better turn of foot from him in the past. He did gradually build to the line, but I feel a bigger track where he can really find his gear is better for him.
Dean Yendall (Character): “Honest run. Probably on the week back-up though. I’d like to see him over 1800.”
Daniel Moor (Uncle Bryn): “He was disappointing.”
