MORNINGTON-based jockey Clayton Douglas landed his maiden victory at Caulfield on Saturday 13 April.
Having had previously ridden at the track four times, the prominent jumps and flat jockey steered the Anthony Freedman-trained hot-pot Super Seth to a last-to-first victory in the opening race.
After a six-length debut win, Super Seth overcame a muddling a tempo and an awkward position before ultimately pulling away for a comfortable one-length victory over the Leon and Troy Corstens-trained Stand To Attention.
Jockey, Clayton Douglas, said he rode the two-year-old son of Dundeel as if he was the best horse in the field.
“From what he did on debut, I sort of knew the sort of horse that I had underneath me – I’ve ridden him in a little bit of trackwork too,” Douglas said.
“The boss said to me ‘just be patient, take your time, you know he’s a good horse so just let things unfold’. From the inside draw I was a little bit worried that I could probably get caught up in traffic but I was able to edge my way out and once he got out into open air, he really hit the line hard.”
“I haven’t ridden many (classy horses) in a race but I think this one’s pretty good.”
That victory provided Douglas with his fifth metropolitan win for the season. It also provided the Freedman stable with their 10th two-year-old winner for the season.
Trainer Anthony Freedman said connections have a decision to make on Super Seth’s immediate future.
“(Brisbane’s) an option. We’ve had that in the back of our mind with him as is a race at Flemington on Anzac Day so we’ll work it out. He might even go for a spell,” he said.
Freedman also gave an insight into the pending decision with Godolphin two-year-old Chenier, who was beaten as an odds-on favourite at Sandown last week. Next Saturday’s Group 1 Champagne Stakes at Randwick remains an option but Freedman is thinking of putting an end to his campaign.
“I am leaning towards going for a spell,” he said. “He’s not really a two-year-old. I think he went OK the other day. The track didn’t really work out for him. He’s a big-striding horse and I think he struggled in that soft ground. He’ll be fine in the spring and that’s the way I am leaning.”
First published in the Mornington News – 16 April 2019
