RELATED STORY: Roaring races success
BILL Cerchi and Craig Robertson combined to pull off one of the great boilovers with Diamonds At Noon in Sunday’s $100,000 Murray Downs Swan Hill Cup (1600m).
The Colac horseman’s decision to back his seven-year-old up in the Cup just 48 hours after running on Friday reaped rich rewards as the 50-1 shot produced a career-best performance.
In a pulsating finish to the big one, Diamonds At Noon scooted up the inside of the track under Robertson’s urgings to edge out fellow roughie Onya Keithy ($26) by a short-half head, with Chile Express a further three-quarters of a length away in third.
Cerchi, a member of the famous Victorian horse racing family, rolled the dice with Diamonds At Noon after being encouraged by his game third under 62kg in a Rating 70 Handicap (1600m) on Friday.
He labelled Robertson an “absolute star” as horse and jockey returned to the winner’s stall post-race, and could not have been any more spot on.
Diamonds At Noon was third last at the home turn, with Robertson using all his three decades of experience to guide the son of Centre Stalls to glory on the inside of the 14-strong field.
“You don’t need to get out as wide as they were getting,” Robertson said.
“If you can cut the corner and travel through it a bit, you’re a real chance and he did that.”
Robertson paid tribute to Cerchi’s training effort to get Diamonds At Noon ready to land his second Victorian country cup success after taking out the 2013 Mortlake Cup (2000m).
“You’ve got to give the credit to Billy, he was first-up on Friday with 62kg on his back and he’s backed him up two days later to win the Cup,” he said.
Robertson recalled his long association with not only the Cerchis, but the Elliott family, who are among the owners of Diamonds At Noon.
“I want to thank the Elliott family, it’s just great to ride a winner for them,” he said.
“Thirty-one years ago when I went for a job with Bill’s father, I had to see Mr Elliott for an interview. He said to me to bounce a ball, which I did and I got the job.”
Diamonds At Noon earned a cool $60,000 for yesterday’s win in 1:39.54, taking his career earnings to $184,981 on the back of eight wins from 55 career starts.
The Cup result added to what had already proved a tough carnival for punters.
The First 4 result on the Victorian TAB paid a cool $55,470 with Road Warrior running fourth.
Of the beaten brigade, Onya Keithy (Holly McKechnie) was brave in defeat and beat home fellow Cranbourne galloper Chile Express (Michelle Payne).
Favourite Digitalism loomed in the straight, but peaked on his run to finish fifth, beaten 1.8 lengths.
Chicanes was the best of the Swan Hill-trained gallopers, finishing seventh, while Evie Rose knocked up after racing on the speed to finish 10th.
