Rawiller Bounces Back After Saddle Slip
- Tuesday, 05 November 2013 03:30
Champion jockey Nash Rawiller has wasted no time bouncing back from a gear malfunction that made for an uncomfortable ride on Opinion to land a victory aboard Bernabeu two races later.
Rawiller endured a difficult ride on Opinion when his saddle slipped shortly after the start of Tuesday's Carnival Handicap at Flemington and he lost his irons.
Bernabeu
The mishap put paid to the chances of Opinion but Rawiller showed no long-term ill effects from the incident with his victory in the Schweppes #flemingtonfling (1000m) aboard Bernabeu ($13).
"It's still a bit of a sore point," Rawiller quipped when asked about what had gone wrong aboard Opinion.
"I lost my irons coming out of the gates when he jumped a bit awkwardly.
"After 50 yards my saddle slipped right around his guts and made it impossible to get my irons back."
Randwick-based trainer John O'Shea said Bernabeu had been having trouble navigating bends in his races so he wanted to bring him to Melbourne to run down the straight.
Bernabeu with Nash Rawiller
"I felt that if he could run up to his work then he would run a very big race," O'Shea said.
He said Bernabeu would have a break before coming back to Flemington to run in the Group One Lightning Stakes.
Bernabeu was untroubled to win by 3-1/4 lengths from Iconic ($6.50) with Churchill Dancer ($41) third.
Photos: Fiona Tomlin
