Coach Joe Pleasure celebrated his sixteenth Group 1 success and is eyeing one other in two week’s time together with his quick improver Assume About It onto the Stradbroke Handicap after a career-defining victory within the Group 1 $1 million Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m).
Converge (pictured in Sydney) was large late working second within the 2023 Kingsford Smith Cup outcomes at Eagle Farm. Picture: Steve Hart.
The four-year-old son of So You Assume has gone from energy to energy over his nine-start profession up to now posting win quantity eight in his elite stage debut within the Kingsford Smith Cup 2023 at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Three weeks after his Listed Takeover Goal Stakes victory at Gosford the gun galloper confirmed precisely how good he was within the sunshine state given a beautiful trip by now four-time Group 1 successful hoop Sam Clipperton to say the scalps of a real subject of sprinters.
After travelling simply off the tempo all through one-time favorite Assume About It charged house on the straight coming laborious on the surface of the Robert Heathcote-trained native Victory Stakes winner Rothfire who had taken over front-running 450m out from the road.
Over the ultimate furlong it was all eyes on Assume About It who raced off for a stellar three-quarter size victory.
Flashing house the closing phases in a wonderful return to type was the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained fellow four-year-old Converge.
After flying house late Converge completed runner-up whereas Rothfire misplaced few admirers holding for third to finish the Kingsford Smith Cup trifecta at his pet monitor because the 2021 and 2020 JJ Atkins winners respectively ending within the cash.
It was a blended Kingsford Smith Cup end result for Pleasure whose pace-maker Eduardo pale late to cross the road second final.
“It’s laborious watching a race like that as I had Eduardo fading out on the finish so form of blended feelings,” Pleasure mentioned.
“However we’ll simply see, Eduardo might have simply discovered that monitor a bit too agency.”
Subsequent-up for Assume About It’s a journey house to maintain coaching at Warwick Farm earlier than returning to Eagle Farm on June 10 for the Group 1 $3 million Stradbroke Handicap (1400m).
“This horse right here goes from energy to energy,” Pleasure advised Sky Thoroughbred Central.
“He’s travelled up properly.
“Wow, what a efficiency. He sat three-wide, received a bit of canopy, however was explosive. He needed to get previous a correct horse in Rothfire and he went by means of the road properly.
“I believe 1400m might be no issues with him in a few weeks’ time.
“A dynamic efficiency and he’ll solely enhance. He’s three weeks between runs so he gained’t be going backwards off that.
“So long as he pulls up properly…we’ll carry him again up right here (for the Stradbroke).
“They’re straightforward to position good horses.
“It’s so thrilling have this horse ripping by means of the grades, who is aware of the place he’ll get to.”
Assume About It now leads the most recent all-in 2023 Stradbroke Handicap markets at $4 by means of Ladbrokes.
