Reserve Bank skyrockets in value as Jamie Melham claims back-to-back wins in The Goodwood
Gun colt Reserve Bank charged home to claim Saturday's $1m The Goodwood at Morphettville, notching a fourth win in Adelaide's premier sprint for astute trainer Mick Price.
It saw star jockey Jamie Melham nailed another homecoming mission, settling off the pace aboard Reserve Bank ($5.50), before splitting the middle of the field at the 200m, on her way to a brilliant one-length win.
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'He's a Group 1 winner now as a colt, isn't he? He's a beautiful, sound, big, strong and nice colt,' Price, who trains in partnership with Michael Kent Jr, said.
'I was a bit concerned in the run where he was, I did say to her (Jamie), 'he's a nice, flow along sort of horse, he doesn't like the mixed messages and don't drag him back'.
'I'm sure he was out the back, but thankfully they ran along and he was allowed to use his big stride late and he took off.
'I can only say he's a very good colt, and he's won a Group 1.'
Group 1 glory secured a hat-trick of wins for Reserve Bank, a three-year-old son of Capitalist, who has now won five from nine starts.
Melham admitted that the 1200m race threatened to go pear-shaped early, but it eventually mapped out perfectly.
'Nothing went to plan, he reared out the gates, missed the start, but I just got a dream run, I got a beautiful run in the end,' Melham said.
'Giga Kick was on our outside, I thought if I drag back now and get on his backside, he's going to be too sharp.
'We just rode for luck, the gaps came, I was just a passenger, Mick has this horse absolutely flying, it was a very impressive win.'
Jamie Melham celebrates winning The Goodwood aboard Reserve Bank. Picture: Makoto Kaneko
The win saw Melham defend her Goodwood crown, the hoop won last year's sprint aboard Benedetta.
'I thought, I can't leave Adelaide without getting another Group 1,' she said.
'It's a very special race to win, and nothing's like winning a race back home in Adelaide, my aunty is here, aunty Jan, my family are here – it's very special.'
Local galloper Sir Sway ($61) ran the race of his life to finish second for trainers Sue and Jason Jaensch, while Everest-winning sprinter Giga Kick, a $2.05 favourite, was honest first-up, hitting the line strongly out wide for third.
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