Spring Cups Bid for 2015 Herbert Power Winner Amralah

October 10, 2015

Spring Cups Bid for 2015 Herbert Power Winner Amralah

Co-owner Nick Williams was full of post-race praise for tough import Amralah after his gutsy Herbert Power Stakes 2015 win at Caulfield Racecourse that could lead to a short back-up into next weekend’s Caulfield Cup.

Amralah

Herbert Power Stakes winner Amralah could back-up in Saturday week’s 2015 Caulfield Stakes. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Now a winner of six of his 16 career runs, six-year-old Teofilo stallion Amralah won a black-type in Adelaide over 1800m two back before he slipped in the gates at Flemington last Sunday blowing his chances in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m).

He eventually crossed a mid-field seventh to Preferment, still only beaten one and three-quarter lengths carrying 55kg, a weight that increased three kilos for his quick back-up into the $400,000 Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) on Caulfield Guineas Day.

Having just his second run at Caulfield, the horse had ace hoop Hugh Bowman aboard who had the same bad luck as Damien Oliver in the jump when the Robert Hickmott-trained Amralah knuckled in the barriers and was one of the last out.

After original plans to have the horse up in the first two or three in running, Bowman had to say goodbye to that option and instead let his mount settle off the speed towards the back in the early stages of the race.

“Our plan was to be in the first two or three, but the horse knuckled when he jumped and I had to eliminate plans and ride my race,” Bowman said.

The Gai Waterhouse-trained Bohemian Lily meanwhile flew out of barrier one and jockey Kerrin McEvoy took the mare straight to the lead, allowing her to roll along at her own leisure.

At First Sight was also ridden aggressively settling into second ahead of Ethiopia with Mr Impatience and Albonetti shuffling for fourth.

Bowman and Amralah were third last and with the pace slackening off, Bowman made a brave choice to take off at around the 900m in a mid-race move taking the eventual winner all the way around to slot into the pacemaker’s position up front.

“I just let him settle out the back whish was fine until the pace slackened,” Bowman explained.

“I thought ‘I’m just going to make up a few lengths and get my horse into a rhythm’.

“It gave me no choice but to pop up around to lead.

“Rhythm is key in these longer races…although it wasn’t a tactical move to do what I did, I just rode the horse instead of the race.”

Tactical or not in his eyes, it was a wonderful ride from Bowman to take up the running, the horse not having to do too much hard work to get there and in a pure staying power performance Amralah held that lead all the way to the end to salute for the punters.

“This horse I would say has got more in stall this spring,” Bowman added.

On the six-day back-up the horse was outstanding, and despite so many things working against him including the slip at the start and the mid-race move, he thrashed them in the end looking a different class to his rivals in the dominant win that gave Bowman an early double.

At the top of the straight Amralah ($3.70) kicked away and held close to four lengths to spare on the line from the fast finishing Waterhouse-trained Excess Knowledge ($5) who was closing late and ran down stablemate Bohemian Lily ($6) who was brave with her on speed run to hold for third.

Williams said that the lightweight Amralah was allocated for Saturday week’s $3 million Group 1 BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) back at the track over the mile and a half was tempting, but they would wait to see how the horse came through his Herbert Power run.

“This horse is a very nice horse,” he said.

“Hughie had the opportunity (to go around)…you can’t beat these sportsmen when they’re in form.

“He got him (Amralah) there and he walked away from them.

“I don’t think you’ve seen many Herbert Power winners as impressive as that.

“We’ll get him home now. It’s a big ask (backing up again) but the 51 and a half kilos (he is allocated for the Caulfield Cup) is obviously very tempting.”

Williams said they were also looking longer term at a possible $6.2 million Group 1 Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) missing over the two miles at Flemington on Tuesday November 3, but that Racing Victoria Chief Handicapper Greg Carpenter was likely to give the horse more weight for that staying classic.

“He’s going to have to carry a lot more than that in the Melbourne Cup,” he said.

“He’s a tough horse, but we’ll see how he pulls up and take it one day at a time.

“He’s right up there this horse. He’s a horse that we’ve rated right up the top (of our staying crop this season).

“We really like this horse a lot.”

To check out the juicy early odds available on Amralah for the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup 2015 make sure you head over to Ladbrokes.com.au who in their exclusive Best Tote or SP + 20% markets on the Caulfield Guineas Day races paid $4.12 for Amralah to win!

2015 Herbert Power Stakes Results & Finishing Order

Caulfield Race 5 – 10/10/2015

Place # Horse Trainer Jockey Margin Br. Wgt. SP
1 3 AMRALAH (IRE) Robert Hickmott Hugh Bowman 8 58.5kg $3.60F
2 5 EXCESS KNOWLEDGE (GB) Gai Waterhouse Blake Shinn 3L 13 57.5kg $5
3 9 BOHEMIAN LILY (NZ) Gai Waterhouse Kerrin McEvoy 4L 1 53kg $6.50
4 6 BONDEIGER Danny O’Brien James Winks 4.1L 3 56kg $12
5 8 BLACK TOMAHAWK Michael Moroney Glen Boss 5.1L 2 54kg $13
6 2 SERTORIUS Jamie Edwards Ryan Maloney 6.35L 5 59kg $12
7 4 ESCADO Matt Laurie Ben Melham 6.45L 9 58kg $26
8 1 PRINCE OF PENZANCE (NZ) Darren Weir Ms Michelle Payne 7.7L 12 59kg $10
9 11 AT FIRST SIGHT (IRE) Darren Weir Craig Williams 8.1L 11 53kg $26
10 13 BIKILA Pat Carey Patrick Moloney (a) 11.35L 10 53kg $51
11 7 ETHIOPIA Pat Carey Rhys McLeod 13.1L 7 54.5kg $26
12 12 MISTER IMPATIENCE (GB) Michael Moroney Daniel Moor 13.2L 6 53kg $151
13 10 ALBONETTI Sue Jaensch Dwayne Dunn 19.2L 4 53kg (cd 53.5kg) $21

Racing fields and data are copyright 2011-2021 © Racing Australia Pty Ltd (RA) (and other parties working with it).
Racing materials, including fields, form and results, is subject to copyright which is owned by RA and other parties working with it. Full copyright notice.

Spring Racing

Military Mission Fires in 2023...

Zipping Classic 2023 Field �...

Zipping Classic 2023 Field & Odds Update: Vow And Declare Defends Title

Danny O’Brien’s 2019 Melbourne Cup winner Vow And Declare continues to show a...

Overpass Heads 2023 Winterbott...

Overpass Heads 2023 Winterbottom Stakes Field & Betting Markets

Bjron Baker’s The Everest performer Overpass is tipped to return to winning...

Osipenko Leads The Gong 2023 R...

Osipenko Leads The Gong 2023 Race Field & Betting

The Chris Waller-trained Pierro four-year-old Osipenko is firm favourite in...

2023 Railway Stakes Field ...

2023 Railway Stakes Field & Betting Update: Tuvalu Narrow Favourite

The Lindsey Smith-trained top-weight Tuvalu is narrow favourite in the latest...

Horse Racing Today

2024 The Galaxy Results: Zapat...

Golden Slipper Results 2024: L...

Golden Slipper Results 2024: Lady Of Camelot Beats Coleman, Storm Boy Third

Co-trainer Gai Waterhouse extended her record to eight victories in the 2024...

2024 George Ryder Stakes Winne...

2024 George Ryder Stakes Winner Veight Beats Older Rivals

Veight joined an elite list of three-year-olds to beat home the older horses...

Rosehill Guineas 2024 Results:...

Rosehill Guineas 2024 Results: Riff Rocket Flies Home Late Ahead of ATC Derby

Chris Waller’s VRC Derby winner from the spring, Riff Rocket, now has the...

2024 Ranvet Stakes Results: Vi...

2024 Ranvet Stakes Results: Via Sistina Too Good Debuting for Waller

Yu Long Investments lucrative European purchase, the now Chris Waller-trained...

Race Results

2024 The Galaxy Results: Zapateo Upsets Sunshine In Paris

Golden Slipper Results 2024: Lady Of Camelot Beats Coleman, Storm Boy Third

Imperatriz Defends Title in 2024 William Reid Stakes

2024 George Ryder Stakes Winner Veight Beats Older Rivals

Rosehill Guineas 2024 Results: Riff Rocket Flies Home Late Ahead of ATC Derby

Race Previews

UK Raider Post Impressionist Heads Tancred Stakes Field & Odds

2024 Australian Cup Field & Betting Update: Pride Of Jenni v Mr Brightside

Golden Slipper 2024 Tips & Betting Update

The Galaxy 2024 Race Field & Odds: Ozzmosis Leads Betting on Slipper Day Sprint

2024 Rosehill Guineas Field & Betting Update: Riff Rocket Set to Take Off

Fields & Form

UK Raider Post Impressionist Heads Tancred Stakes Field & Odds

2024 Australian Cup Field & Betting Update: Pride Of Jenni v Mr Brightside

Golden Slipper 2024 Tips & Betting Update

The Galaxy 2024 Race Field & Odds: Ozzmosis Leads Betting on Slipper Day Sprint

2024 Rosehill Guineas Field & Betting Update: Riff Rocket Set to Take Off