Cup Day at Townsville
TTC

Heart beats them all in Cleveland Bay

26-Jul-2010: The celebrations following the running of the 2010 $75,000 XXXX Gold Cleveland Bay Handicap 1200m on Saturday, July 24 could easily rival those of some of the season's Group 1 victories.

Mount Isa trainer Jay Morris, stable jockey Chad Pay and owner Andrew Saunders were leaping, pumping their fists and yahooing until they were joined by returning winning jockey Wanderson D'Avila who performed a star jump dismount off Heart, the horse who had caused all the jubilance.

"Winning the Cleveland Bay to us is like the north Queensland Stradbroke," said Saunders, whose antics were reminiscent of Black Piranha's connections this year.

"We're only a young team. Jay's only 30, I'm young, or reasonably young, Chad's young, everyone involved with the horse is, so it's all a learning curve and everyone's learning and they're enjoying the racing.

"We love it."

At $10, Heart (G5 Faltaat USA-Smile NZ) wasn't the most fancied of runners yet he managed to put enough pressure on $2.50 race favourite Trusted Partner (Justin Stanley) to come out in front as the team's plans came to fruition.

"He always races forward," explained Saunders. "We told Wanderson to go forward, let Trusted Partner lead, sit off him and then on the corner ease him round and then put the pressure on.

"And then at the 300m mark he got to him and I thought there's nothing coming and then you know I thought I think he's going to win this and we all got excited.

"I think we've embarrassed ourselves. It was a great thrill."

Ex-Brazilian jockey D'Avila displayed his thrill with a wave of the whip on the winning post which cost him $200 in the stewards room later.

Heart has been a picture of consistency since entering Morris' stables in September last year.

His last start fourth placing in the Mackay Newmarket was actually the furthest back the gelding had placed since making the move to Morris. He has now produced three wins, four seconds and two thirds from his last 10 starts.

"We set him actually for the Lightning," said Saunders. "Dad (Neil Saunders) said don't go to the Lightning he can't win, because Dad does all the form up, he's a bookie.

"He said he can't beat Trusted Partner, go to Mackay for the Newmarket and he ran a big race in the Mackay Newmarket…should have won.

"Dad said go to the Cleveland Bay and he'll be hard to beat."

That advice gave Jay Morris his biggest career win to date.

The stable also enjoyed a double on Townsville Cup day with topweight Brawled earlier winning the Townsville Events Class Handicap 1000m.

"It's been a good Carnival. Today's been our grand final," said Saunders.

"We'll have a great night, pack up, go home and Jay will get ready to go to Birdsville now.

"Have horse, will travel."


Author: Hollie Roberts