Big Steel To Lift Trainer's Profile
- Saturday, 31 July 2010 05:59
Mornington trainer Mat Laurie is hopeful The Big Steel is the headline horse he has been looking for to lift his profile.
The rising four-year-old grey gave Laurie his first Saturday city win when he graduated from a last-start restricted grade victory on the Geelong synthetic track to land the Join MRC & Receive $2000 Instant Value Handicap (1800m) at Caulfield.
"This win is hugely important," Laurie said.
"I have got some really good supportive owners and I'm thrilled for them today."
Laurie has trained 30 winners in the last five years, including 13 this season.
The Big Steel has shown notable improvement in the last two months and from eight starts has won three of his last four runs from 1600m to 2100m.
"He is going to be an exciting horse," Laurie said.
"He has learned to flatten out in his races now, has nice gate speed and just sits nice outside the leader.
"I think the owners are going to have some fun with him as he looks a nice staying horse for the future."
Jockey Ben Melham had The Big Steel on the pace all the way and urged him clear in the straight to score by 1-1/4 lengths from Cheerful Jury and King Cobweb.
"I've had a beautiful wrap on this horse for while," Melham said.
The Mike Moroney-trained Lordoftheparrots dominated betting at $3.20 but, ridden by Damien Oliver, was never a factor.
"He was slow to move and didn't get a lot of luck early," Moroney said.
"He just had no chance from back where he was."
While Lordoftheparrots made ground to finish seventh, the stable was rejoicing Abitofado's overdue win in the next race, the Chisholm Institute Handicap (1800m).
In a nail-biting finish, Abitofado, ridden by apprentice Adam McCabe, fought back tenaciously to beat Makeadreamcometrue in a photo-finish.
Ridden by apprentice Jason Maskiell, Makeadreamcometrue looked set to win easily when he loomed up in the last 200 metres but died on his run the last few strides.
Abitofado had placed at his last four city runs, including most recently at Flemington where he finished second to Miss Lily Rose.
Miss Lily Rose was $2.60 favourite on Saturday and made up a lot of ground from last to finish fifth.
Pictures: Fiona Tomlin
