Sivadio Wins Another Country Showcase
- Sunday, 25 July 2010 14:00
Sivadio continued his winning ways whilst in the care of Stephen Theodore, this time in the $75,000 Luxbet.com Country Showcase 0-78 Handicap (2025m) at Cranbourne on Sunday.
The victory was the six-year-old’s second country showcase win in the space of three starts and eased the pain inflicted from stablemate Why Do You Ask’s controversial defeat at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
“He’s just a trier on raceday, we do nothing with him at home but keep him relaxed,” Theodore said.
“He just hit the line with great gusto so providing he pulls up well, there’s more races ahead while the wet tracks are around.”
Settling in a position worse than midfield, Sivadio and his jockey Ben Melham found themselves in an awkward place tucked in on the rails in a bunched field.
“I wasn’t really following the horses I would have liked to be following,” Melham said.
“I was pretty keen to get off the fence and after that we were always going to be hard to beat.
Melham eventually was able to manoeuvre his way towards the middle of the track, but was still spotting the leader Great Player several lengths approaching the home turn.
When Great Player pinched an extra two lengths around the home bend it appeared the Grant Craven-trained galloper was set for victory.
However Sivadio burst out of the chasing pack down the outside to swamp Great Player in the final 100 metres to win spectacularly with Quite Famous unable to capitalise on his perfect run in transit in the ‘one-one’.
Sivadio ($4.60-$7) defeated Quite Famous ($9-$11) by three quarters of a length with Great Player ($6-$6.50-$4.40 eq fav) beaten just over a length from the winner.
“He’s got a little habit of laying in but Steve has done a terrific job with this horse,” Melham added.
“He’s had a long enough prep but raced consistent enough all the way through.”
Since being purchased by Theodore for $6,000 from Clinton McDonald, who originally purchased him for $120,000 from the 2005 Magic Millions Yearling Sale, Sivadio has had 12 starts for five wins and three placings.
In the period of time, Sivadio has accumulated over $125,000 in prizemoney.
“He’s been a terrific little asset and pick up for the stable but its not easy – there are a lot of horses we don’t improve,” the Cranbourne-based trainer said before adding that substantial sessions in the swimming pool was the key to Sivadio.
Theodore is keen to return to the city with Sivadio based upon Sunday’s effort and his third at Caulfield two starts ago.
“I think he deserves another crack in the city after the other day.”
“I mean the Ballarat race worth $100,000 restricted to 0-78 and again today another restricted 0-78 for $75,000 - they’re always the country races we’d like to win.
“But I’m sure after the way Ben rode it today that he’ll be instructing me to find a 2000 metre race in town in another fortnight’s time.
“He’ll probably only carry the 54kg minimum so he’ll drop five kilos.
“Why wouldn’t you want to go there,” he added.
Picture: Colin Bull
