A quick back-up and perfectly timed, rails-hugging ride by apprentice Zac Lloyd has proven the right formula for Superium to get back in the winner’s stall.
After doing his best work late when fifth to Sky Command in the Razor Sharp Handicap (1200m) last weekend, the six-year-old relished a distance rise to 1400m to scoot through along the inside and claim Saturday’s December Handicap.
It was Superium’s first win since the Listed Hinkler Stakes at Eagle Farm in June 2021, albeit a narrow one, the Hawkes Racing gelding nailing Coal Crusher in the final bounds to score by a half-head with Cotehele another head further back in a driving finish.
“He needed every inch of that 1400 today,” Lloyd said.
“It was a very good run last week, they came up with the plan to back him up and it paid off very well.”
Coal Crusher was brave in defeat after being taken on for the lead and while disappointed not to get the result, trainer Joe Pride was thrilled with the horse’s effort.
“The 1500-metres was too far for him last start, 1400 is about as far as he wants,” Pride said.
“Another good effort from the horse and he will have a little break now.”
Promising sprinter I Am Me brought up a hat-trick of victories a race later to earn a call up to black-type company.
Co-trainer Ciaron Maher contemplated running her in Saturday’s Listed Kensington Stakes (1000m) at Flemington but opted to give her one more start in Sydney before heading south.
“We were toying with whether we went to Flemington today for the (stakes) race down the straight but it was a short turnaround and I said to (syndicate manager) Adam (Watt), ‘I’d rather keep her here’.
“A mare in form, she has won down the straight at Flemington so she will probably head there now. There are a series of races there over the next month.”
On a day of fast times, I Am Me clocked a class record 1:07.77 mins for the 1200m, just outside the course record of 1:07.32 established by Yes Yes Yes in 2019.