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Despite doing it the tough way the Telstra Phonewords Stakes 2016 winner Archives saluted for the punters on Cox Plate Day earning a shot at a Melbourne Cup Carnival run at Flemington next week.
The John O’Shea-trained Godolphin galloper was the one to beat in the $150,000 Group 3 Telstra Phonewords Stakes (1200m) – formerly the Red Anchor Stakes – at Moonee Valley third-up.
A beautifully bred son of Helmet, the still green colt posted his first win since the Listed Hampden Stakes (1200m) at Doomben as a juvenile in the winter.
James McDonald had the mount that day and was back aboard for the first time since in the Telstra Phonewords Stakes, but he worked for the win with Archives bounding up and down throughout the race.
“Jeez that was hard work,” the ace Sydney-based hoop said post-win.
“We travelled fairly wide, but he kept revving up and was strong.
“He had to be strong. He held the rest of them at bay, but he did it the tough way.
“It felt like we were going up and down on the one spot. I don’t know how strong the field was, but he got away with it.”
Archives had the hard run, but was on the best part of the track coming back down in distance off his last start ninth to Sacred Elixir at Caulfield on September 24 in the Group 3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m).
It was a line of four running to the first turn in the race, the front pace with a half a dozen lengths on the backmarkers Big John Cannon and Crafted.
The Veal Thing went to look for the early lead and narrowly held the pacemaker position from Archives who was four wide in second up on the pace working into the race.
Eventually the favourite rolled along and drew in front, with the John Hyam-trained Starcraft gelding Crafted on the move around the bend out wide on the turn.
Crafted at just his third start kept coming with the looping run looming to win, moving up to Archives who was trying to lift again and looking in trouble with only a couple of hundred meters left to travel.
The two came down the straight to the line together, Archives ($2.10) just lifting over the concluding stages to hold on and win by a short-half head bobbing to defeat Crafted ($16).
Finishing off the trifecta a further length and three-quarters back in third was the Jim Conlan-trained roughie Big John Cannon ($34) who made up all the ground from the back.
David Charles from Godolphin admitted Archives still had plenty to learn, but was pleased with the result and confirmed plans to head to Flemington Racecourse.
“He’s got a wonderful constitution and he’s a very hard trier,” he said.
“He’s a galloper and just keeps rolling along…it all worked out in the end.
“He has that amazing will to win, which he proved today so we’re very happy.
“122 [metres] and beyond [is his go]. John [O’Shea] will sit down this week, but we’ve got the Cup Carnival coming up and there’s a race or two for him there so we’ll press on there.”
Back Archives during the Melbourne Cup Carnival online at the right price through Ladbrokes.com.au.
Moonee Valley Race 4 – 22/10/2016
Place | # | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Br. | Wgt. | SP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | ARCHIVES | John O’Shea | James McDonald | – | 6 | 57kg | $2.10F |
2 | 10 | CRAFTED | John Hyam | Vlad Duric | 0.1L | 4 | 56kg | $19 |
3 | 11 | BIG JOHN CANNON | Jim Conlan | Michael Walker | 1.85L | 5 | 56kg | $31 |
4 | 12 | THE VEAL THING | Michael Cornish & Donna Gaskin | Ms Katelyn Mallyon | 2.05L | 1 | 54kg | $26 |
5 | 5 | DAM READY | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Luke Currie | 2.25L | 2 | 56kg | $3 |
6 | 6 | PALLADIAN | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Dwayne Dunn | 3.5L | 3 | 56kg | $6.50 |
– | 4 | HIGHLAND BEAT | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Damian Lane | – | 0 | – | – |
– | 3 | DALRADIAN | Darren Weir | – | – | 0 | – | – |
– | 1 | KEN’S DREAM | Darren Weir | Mark Zahra | – | 0 | – | – |
– | 7 | MATTY | Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra | Andrew Mallyon | – | 0 | – | – |
– | 8 | INVINCIBLE JOY | Clinton McDonald | – | – | 0 | – | – |
– | 9 | TERINDAH | Robbie Griffiths | Jye McNeil (a) | – | 0 | – | – |
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