The insurmountable pressure of James McDonald got here to the fore as soon as once more at Flemington Racecourse Nov. 6 because the all-conquering jockey took his complete tally of winners for the Melbourne Cup Carnival to a record-breaking 10, with quantity 9 coming aboard Nature Strip in the Darley Sprint Classic (G1), while Zaaki provided the jockey with the perfect 10 in the Paramount+ Mackinnon Stakes (G1).
The decade of winners bettered the longstanding record of nine set by Brett Prebble in 1999 and 2000, but McDonald typically downplayed these latest triumphs after celebrating the success immediately after the line with his childhood idol Prebble, who rode the runner-up Cascadian .
“It started with The Everest, and it comes down to this fantastic carnival,” the winning rider said.
“It’s obviously a fantastic thrill. I obviously can’t do it without the support of all the trainers that have put me on this week, and good horses that I’ve been so lucky to partner for the whole week.
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“To begin off with the Coolmore, then the Holy Grail (the Lexus Melbourne Cup, G1) on Verry Elleegant which is the particular one after which to cap it off with two extra in the present day.”
McDonald got here to Melbourne recent from his victory aboard Nature Strip within the $15 million Everest and he paired up as soon as once more with the Chris Waller-trained gelding, who sauntered to a three-and-a-quarter-length victory over Swats That within the Dash Basic. Bella Nipotina was another length and a quarter away in third.
Nature Strip landed the race in 2019, before Bivouac denied him consecutive victories 12 months ago when he beat the son of Nicconi into second. But the win never looked in any doubt yesterday, a performance that now has Waller considering overseas assignments for the 7-year-old, but he was naturally unwilling to make any major race day plans in the immediate aftermath.
“We’ll think about that tomorrow,” Waller said. “For now we’re going to enjoy it with the owners. They’ve hardly seen him race over the last 18 months.
What a star sprinter he is! 😍#naturestrip #speeddemon ⚡️
📷 @DarrylSherer pic.twitter.com/6AfA4o1xhl
— Chris Waller Racing (@cwallerracing) November 6, 2021
“There’s an amazing group of sprinters going round. We noticed in The Everest final begin, Eduardo and Masked Crusader, they’re critical horses, so it was good to deliver him right here in the present day.
“It has been a protracted prep for these horses and to carry them up is a credit score to my group.”
Waller has been practically as dominant as McDonald in the course of the Cup carnival, with Nature Strip handing the coach his seventh winner.
Early on in his profession, Nature Strip was well-known for his hot-headed nature which regularly thwarted his means to complete off in his races, however McDonald stated the gelding has developed into a whole sprinter.
“It is a studying curve each preparation now we have with him and there is nice expectation with him each time he steps out, that comes with strain as effectively,” McDonald advised Racing.com.
“When he is a short-priced favourite we have fallen into the lure of worrying concerning the race an excessive amount of relatively than worrying concerning the horse. However now, it’s fully concerning the horse and what shall be, shall be.
“He (Nature Strip) has simply been within the zone, he is been harnessing it. At the moment, Chris solely gave me one instruction. He stated ‘deal with it like a Tuesday gallop—4, residence two’. As straightforward as that. Simply level and steer.
“We won’t take any run frivolously. We have now come to Flemington earlier than and anticipated him to win and rode him in all probability not so effectively contemplating the circumstances however now we have got an amazing deal with on him and he is racing terrifically. He is only a marvelous horse.”
Bred by Golden Grove Stud Farm, Nature Strip is considered one of three winners out of group 3-winning Desert Solar mare Strikeline, making him a half brother to listed scorer The Barrister. Strikeline was lined by Rosemont Stud-based sire Shamus Award final December.
Zaaki takes the Mckinnon Stakes
Heading into the carnival, it could have taken somebody extraordinarily courageous to guess towards Zaaki ending the week off with out one other group 1 to his identify, however after a spiked temperature on raceday morning compelled coach Annabel Neasham to withdraw the gelding from his principal goal, the Oct. 23 Cox Plate (G1), it was trying very attainable the European-bred could possibly be staring down the barrel of a fruitless finish to the spring.
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Nevertheless, after being given a clear invoice of well being, the brand new goal rapidly grew to become the Mackinnon Stakes and the gelding confirmed his standard brilliance underneath McDonald to beat Cascadian—who was fittingly ridden by Prebble—by a size and 1 / 4. The winner’s stablemate Mo’unga was one other size and three-quarters away in third.
Triumphant within the Fujitsu Common Tramway Stakes (G2) and Quayclean Underwood Stakes (G1) on his first two begins this preparation, Zaaki had his spring derailed when overwhelmed into third when ridden by Craig Williams within the Neds May And Energy Stakes (G1).
However, reunited together with his standard companion in McDonald yesterday, Zaaki reassured his supporters he’s probably the most dominant pressure within the center distance ranks in Australia.
Neasham stated the frustration was wiped away with yesterday’s victory, though she did admit to being fairly nervous beforehand.
“He seemed recent within the run,” Neasham stated. “He clearly hadn’t run for a month, nevertheless it was a ravishing experience by James who can do no fallacious for the time being.
“I knew on the high of the straight that he had such a lapful of horse that I knew it could take a great one to run him down.
“It is excellent and Mo’unga, I am very pleased with him.”
A 150,000 guineas (US$302,122) buy for Stuart Boman of Blandford Bloodstock on the 2020 Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Coaching Sale, Zaaki is considered one of three group 1 winners for his sire Leroidesanimaux .
