IT might have been one of racing’s foregone conclusion – Jamie Kah back in the saddle and on the favourite for the $300,000 Sportsbet Pakenham Cup.
And it all went to script, with Kah and Smokin’ Romans cruising to a two-length victory.
But the star jockey of the day was Swan Hill apprentice Madison Lloyd, who landed a back-to-back double – her first Saturday metropolitan double – starting with the $130,000 9Mile Fresh Handicap in an unbelievable last-gasp victory, after chasing hard for every one of the 1600m.
Under no pressure, Lloyd was in charge of the red-hot, odds-on favourite Frankie Pinot for the McEvoy stable.
The five-year-old gelding, a noted ‘quiet’ starter, really blew it on Sunday and came out miles behind the rest of the field.
And Lloyd summed up her ride in the one word – stressful.
“It was a very stressful ride, at the 1200m we thought we would be a lot closer to them, and not off the bridle like he was today – he’s never been off the bridle with me before,” Lloyd said post-race.
At times Lloyd and Frankie Pinot were giving the leaders 15 lengths and more, but she never panicked and kept out of any trouble, slowly pegging the leaders back, step by step.
“When we got to the corner and I gave him a bit of a wake-up, he just simply stretched out and kept coming.”
Lloyd said she couldn’t believe how far behind her horse was after the field jumped.
“Usually he’s competitive but the rest of the field just came flat out and went – and he simply couldn’t keep up with them.
“I’ve had some good rides and I am so grateful for what the McEvoys, for example, have done for me and can’t thank them enough.”
Backing up in the $150,000 Schweppes David Bourke Memorial over 1700m, on Phillip Stokes’ five-year-old gelding Defiant Dancer, it turned out the complete opposite of the race she had just won.
“Today he was really quick out of the gate and I thought ‘jeez’ he’s going to be hard to beat’,” Lloyd said.
“He settled beautifully outside the leader and at the 400m I gave him a really good squeeze and he let down beautifully.
“It’s pretty special to be able to pick up a city double on a Cup day, and I can’t thank the owners and trainers enough for giving me these rides and the opportunities.”
