RECAP: THE SECOND LEG OF THE TRIPLE CROWN

DISAPPOINTING! DISAPPOINTING! DISAPPOINTING!


1st – VINROCK (Mark Zahra) He's a winner. He's unbeaten and he loves winning. He's an absolute gentleman to ride and it was a good job because they were a fair way away from him, so he couldn't see them but he still had his head out and was having a crack. It was a good win. Well done to Matt (Laurie), he's done a great job with him.

2nd – STATE VISIT (Jason Collett) Really good run. If anything, they went up the inside late. If he was able to see it, he would have challenged it. Great run.

3rd – BUFFALO (Zac Purton) Really good run. Obviously his lack of gate speed puts him in an awkward spot. The pace of the race between the half mile and 400m didn't really suit him. If they went a genuine speed he would have gotten over the top of them. Further is going to be better.

4th – WODETON (Ryan Moore) He ran a good race to not be beaten far.

5th – RIVELLINO (Hugh Bowman) He was much more professional than he was in the Golden Slipper. The little bit of interference up the straight didn't help him but I think he is going to be a great three-year-old.

6th – BELLAZAINE (Tim Clark) She was very brave. Probably been beaten a length or in that vicinity. Toughed it out really well.

7th – FEDERALIST (Nash Rawiller) His effort was terrific. Was bumped twice coming to the corner and around the home turn lost balance. He gathered himself late and hit the line. A good effort.

8th – PRESTIGE FOREVER (Jamie Mott) I thought he was brave. Had to do a lot of work from the outside draw. Looked the winner at the 250m. Just knocked up with the early work.

9th – NAVY PILOT (Zac Lloyd) He is a lovely horse. Only got beaten a couple of lengths there. Second start too against the best two year olds in the country. A lot of improving to come with him. Still learning his craft.

10th – NORDIC VIKING (Craig Williams) On face value they were far too good for him. There might be some scope to see how he comes through the run.


The results of last Saturday's races were very disappointing to say the least, with Moira (10-1) finished 14th out of 20 and Anisette (70-1) finished 20th and last in the same race as Moira -- the $4 million Doncaster Mile.


To top that off, my horse, Rivellino ran fifth and my other horse Wodeton ran fourth.

Both horses had a very good trip, particularly Wodeton with Ryan Moore gave him a masterful ride and the horse just was not competing at a level we all expected of him when he finished fourth and got beaten by a half-length at the wire.

At the top of the stretch Wodeton looked like he was going to destroy the field when he moved up to even term with the early leaders when making a three-wide move turning for home and ran evenly thereafter and not looking like he was competing in a high level competition.

VERY DISAPPOINTING WITH WODETON.

As for Rivellino, he, too, was looking like he was going to destroy the field once he straightened up at the top of the stretch, but ran evenly looking very green and confused.

In the stretch approaching the 300m Rivellino actually put his head in front of Wodeton while still a length behind the leader but Rivellino idled thereafer and seemed liked he didn't know what to do.

He was green and confused!

That's when a horse from behind came to him on the outside and brushed and bumped him knocking him inward making him losing stride and lost some more grounds to the leaders.

The jockey straightened him up and used a right- and left-hand whip on him a few times and he just exploded like a rocket again to just missed by 3/4 of a length of winning the race.

Now had he did that at the top of the stretch he (Rivellino) would have won the race by a mile.

Rivellino did the same thing in the Golden Slipper when the jockey steered him to the inside half of the field and straightened him up and he just exploded like a rocket but it was too late.

The same thing happened here - it was too late!

The jockey did everything to make the horse run and win but the horse seemed to not knowing what his job is -- he is still a young horse and didn't know what to do.

Here is what the jockey said after the race:

5th – RIVELLINO (Hugh Bowman) He was much more professional than he was in the Golden Slipper. The little bit of interference up the straight didn't help him but I think he is going to be a great three-year-old.

So hopefully Rivellino will learn how to compete but the past two races he didn't know how to compete at all.

Stay tuned!