Trainer and jockey quotes after Atishu claims the Group 2 TAB Blamey Stakes at Flemington on Saturday.
Race Result:
1st: Atishu (B Shinn/C Waller) - $4 fav
2nd: Holymanz (M Dee/C Maher) - $12
3rd: Ayrton (J Kah/M Price & M Kent Jnr) - $7
Winning Time: 1:36.40 Last 600m: N/A
Margins: 3/4 lengths x Head
"She'll be the sixth mare to win it."
— Racing.com (@Racing) March 2, 2024
Atishu picks up her second Group race in a row at Flemington @cwallerracing @blake_shinn pic.twitter.com/loAPXPXMug
Winning Trainer: Chris Waller (stable representative Charlie Duckworth speaking)
On the ride: "Obviously we know she's a filly that has had a share of issues in the barriers and a result we've always been riding her conservative and she's been finishing off so well in that position so I was a little bit concerned when he was so assertive out of the gates, it's all well and good if you win, but if you don't then there are questions to be asked. She looked to get into a lovely rhythm and travel tractably in that position and Blake, I think was very soft on her really up until the concluding stages when he had to ask an effort for her to lift.
Found right race: She's a genuine group one performer and she absolutely loves it here at Flemington. Looking back it's a fantastic ride from Blake and delighted to get the win, she's obviously a valuable horse and the main thing is she's racing in a rich of vein of form which is great to see after what looked on face value a slightly disappointing first up performance for her."
Improvement from Orr: "I think rather than just improvement it was race pattern and track bias or track circumference that was really the undoing, she was chasing a long way out that day and today she was able to travel and I think that's the difference, if you can get her to travel and switch off and do everything right then she's got a wicked turn of foot, we've seen that time and time again at Flemington and hopefully it can continue for a good while more."
All-Star mile: "I know it's obviously sitting right there and especially now you're in essentially, I know Chris' main thoughts were, at the start of the preparation, were to try and take out the Australian Cup, that was the big ticket item that he was after, but look, five million is a lot of money, I'll leave that to Chris and the owners to work out whether they go there or go straight to an Australian Cup but it's an exciting issue to have."
Winning Jockey: Blake Shinn
Positive start: "She began really well, no tempo early, just rolled forward, it was going to be a bit messy, ended up coming back, got a bit of luck to get in, the rest was history, I got in one out, two back on the back of Holymanz I thought the race was ours to win, it was a great effort."
In for a good prep: "Really grateful for the opportunity, these mares are wonderful to ride when you can get a chance to ride them and they're just different level, they've got a great will to win and even when she ran second to Pride Of Jenni in that mare's mile here, I just loved her grit and I could see that today and felt that riding her, she was never going to lose and the more I asked her the more she responded well, lovely mare, second up, in for a great prep and hopefully I can stay with her now."
