10 hours ago
Headley Grange continues winning ways in Civic Stakes
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Headley Grange, racing's 'Mr Reliable', has surged through his grades this season and is now a stakes winner after he scored at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Trainer Joe Pride's talented sprinter has forgotten how to run anything but at his very best as he claimed the Listed $200,000 Civic Stakes (1400m).
In a nine-race streak that began almost 12 months ago, Headley Grange has not missed a top two finish, winning five times.
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'It's crazy,'' Pride said when asked to comment on Headley Grange's remarkable consistency.
'He was good again, it was nice to see him step up that higher grade today.
'It was a tough win and that's never easy to do in a high pressure race with plenty of opposition.
'But he's a quality horse and he has come through the grades really well.''
Headley Grange, confidently baked into $2.45 favouritism, gave Jason Collett the third leg of a winning treble when he comfortably held off Welwal ($26) to win by a half length with Astero ($51) three-quarters of a length away third.
The Bjorn Baker-trained Raikkonen ($5) settled outside Headley Grange early but then lost his position when stablemate Iknowastar came across in front of him.
Raikkonen then ended up on the rail behind Headley Grange but when the winner eased away from the inside to make his finishing run, Baker's sprinter stayed close to the inside and rallied late to finish an unlucky fourth.
But Headley Grange was a deserving winner - and he's not finished yet.
Pride revealed plans to set Headley Grange for the South Grafton Cup (1600m) on July 13.
The South Grafton Cup is one of a series of races where the winner is eligible to gain a start in the $3 million The Big Dance (1600m) at Royal Randwick on the first Tuesday in November.
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'He's come back particularly well this preparation and we will go to the South Grafton Cup next,'' Pride said. 'We will try and qualify him for one of the Dances.''
Headley Grange has now scored successive wins to start his winter campaign after a brilliant first-up effort over 1300m at Royal Randwick two weeks ago.
'I don't think he was quite as sharp today as he was off that hot tempo the other day,'' Pride said.
'Maybe just second up he was a little bit vulnerable today but I would say he will bounce out of this win.
'I don't know if his best trip is 1400m or a mile (1600) yet. We want it to be a mile as there are not as many races around for 1400m races.''
Collett, who completed his treble on Headley Grange after his earlier wins on Callistemon and Lulumon, wasn't legged into the saddle on the Pride sprinter until the Civic Stakes field came out onto the track.
Pride, who trained a double in successive races when Accredited won the closer, had made application to Racing NSW stewards to have Headley Grange walked out riderless from the Theatre of the Horse to the course proper.
'At the end of last preparation and again last start, when the jockey mounted Headley Grange he started to suck back and play up a bit in the yard,'' Collett explained.
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'Joe asked the stewards if he could have me legged on last and be last onto the track and that way he is always moving forward and not in that environment. It worked as he was able to stay relaxed.''
The Civic Stakes proved an easy watch for Headley Grange backers as Collett gave the ever-consistent sprinter the smoothest of rides.
'The tempo was solid through the middle section and I had a horse travelling 'lovely' when the opportunity arose pretty early in the straight to pop off,'' Collett said.
'I did although it was a long way from home, especially at that tempo, but he just found another gear.
'When they came to him at the 150 (metres) he went again so that's a really good sign.''
Collett agreed with Pride's assertion that although Headley Grange's win wasn't as dynamic as his first-up effort, the rising five-year-old gelding showed there are better wins in store after he improved his race record to eight wins from 18 starts and nearly $600,000 prizemoney.
'The tempo of that race was different to last start,'' Collett said.
'It was genuinely run but Headley Grange has quickened off it and then he's had to tough it out.
'Both starts he has done it either way. Last start, a turn of foot and today he has had to show he was tough under pressure. They're great attributes to have – he's a really nice horse.''
Originally published as Headley Grange earns a shot at South Grafton Cup with victory in the Listed Civic Stakes at Randwick
