Crockett lands cherished win for the Randwick Cowboy
Cameron Crockett had wanted one thing before his dad Max – “The Randwick Cowboy” – died earlier this month and that was a winner at Headquarters.
It came yesterday when Ori On Fire delivered the stable a one-three finish in the Highway Handicap with Andy’s A Star only weeks after Max died.
“I wanted to do that while dad was alive – win one here,” Crockett said. “Ori probably should have done it last time he came here. I’m sure he will be somewhere watching that.”
Crockett will target the Country Championships with Ori On Fire for the third year in a row as well as Andy’s A Star.
“Our heat is in February, so it is not that far away,” Crockett said. “After that Ori has four wins, so he will have another run because he can only win one more and go into the race fresh probably.
“Andy’s A Star will come back here for a Highway over a mile in a couple of weeks, which will really suit him.”
Bjorn again
Bjorn Baker believes it was was win Redouble needed to have when he out-bobbed Sweet Deal to earn a spot on the float to the Gold Coast next month.
Redouble started a Hugh Bowman treble, dashing home over the top of Sweet Deal, which should be enough to get him into the Magic Millions Cup.
He is capable of taking that next step but he needed that win.
Bjorn Baker
“He hasn’t had much luck lately and we were at the stage where if he didn’t win today we would miss going to the Magic Millions,” Baker said. “He should get enough rating points for that to get into the race, and he will take confidence from that.
‘‘He is capable of taking that next step but he needed that win.
“I will have him and Goodfella up there in the Stayers race and it is a chance for them both to win a million-dollar race.”
Tip Top's the one
Tip Top made it six wins for 2018 on Sydney tracks for Les Bridge, who will give him his chance at stakes level in the new year. Adam Hyeronimus chalked up a winning double in getting everything out of Tip Top to pip Berdibek in a desperately close finish.
“That was a great ride. I just left it to him and he got it right,” Bridge said of Hyeronimus.
“I was looking at running him in the Summer Cup but this was an easier race and are still racing for $125,000. We decided to miss the Villiers and wait for next year with him in those bigger races, but he is a very good miler.”
Not deprived
It is not bad combination – Hugh Bowman and Godolphin. The champion jockey chalked up his 18th win from 60 rides for James Cummings in 2018 when Deprive continued his winning way.
Cummings broke through the 100-win mark for the season as Tally, Alizee and Minicure gave him his other wins for the afternoon but Deprive looks a horse on the rise.
“He is doing that on his talent at the moment. He is still raw,” Bowman said. “He had a think when he got to the front and I gave him one behind the saddle and he took off again.”
Cummings also sees the potential in Deprive.
‘‘He is the right horse to just bring through the grades without throwing him in the deep end so soon.
the grades, we’ll see how he pulls up,’’ Cummings said.
‘‘He just got there so easily, it was extraordinary. He is progressing beautifully.’’
The victory gave Bowman his third treble in a row at the meetings he has ridden in Sydney in the past month.
Farewell, John
Jockeys paid their respects to John Marshall, who died after a battle with cancer this week, with a minute’s silence before the race named in his honour at Randwick yesterday. Mister Songman won it with ease and Adam Hyeronimus was quick to point to the name of the race.
“To win a race named after John Marshall is very special,” Hyeronimus said.