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GROUP 1 CAULFIELD CUP \u2013 JOCKEY COMMENTS<\/p>\n
Jamie Melham (Half Yours):\u00a0Pressure pre-race: \u201cI’ve tried not to think about it for the last few days because I just wanted to come out here and ride him and give him the best ride I could because I knew he was the best horse in the race.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut everything was perfect; it worked out perfectly for him, and he had to dig deep and he’s an absolute superstar horse. What Tony and Calvin have done with him; they’ve just made this absolute professional of a horse.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe’s push button; he doesn’t like jumping that well, so I had to really get up him today, and he just spat the bit out and relaxed. Janice (McKenna) texted me yesterday and said she’d make sure Col would open those gaps for me, and he did, so thank you Col.\u201d<\/p>\n
To win a major:\u00a0\u201cJust saying Caulfield Cup is going to make me cry. I’ve had an incredible career and ridden 17 Group Ones now, but that major has obviously eluded me, and I just wanted to get one. But now I want maybe three more, maybe a Melbourne Cup. This horse is going to run the trip out!\u201d<\/p>\n
WATCH: Hear from the beaten jockeys<\/p>\n
Beau Mertens (River Of Stars): \u201cGreat run. She ran fantastic. Had a lovely run off a hot tempo, got held up a little bit rounding the home turn but I didn\u2019t lose too much momentum, and I was just really pleased with the way she sprinted through that gap. She was extremely tough and just happy to see her run really well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jye McNeil (Valiant King): \u201cThe barrier\u2019s probably cost him winning to be honest. Absolute epic un for a Melbourne Cup.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stephane Pasquier (Presage Nocturne): \u201cHe finished good because he hadn\u2019t run since four months (ago). It was good preparation for the Melbourne Cup.\u201d<\/p>\n
Robbie Dolan (Royal Supremacy): \u201cHe finished the race off really good. It gives us options to go to the two miles on the first Tuesday. He just reared up a few times in the gates, just wanted to get on with the job and did race a little bit keen for a few strides but hit the line really good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Teo Nugent (Birdman): \u201cBegan only fairly for me, was the first one loaded and probably went to sleep in the stalls. On the back foot early, had a nice run through, best work was late and loved the way he rounded off the race late.<\/p>\n
Ben Allen (Absurde): \u201cMassive run. A little bit disappointed. We just copped interference right as he was picking up. If we hadn\u2019t have copped that, he would have been right there in the finish.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel Stackhouse (Deakin): \u201cHe ran well. I was just disappointed with him late; I thought he would have been a bit stronger. I had to use him to get out of that pocket I was in and put him in the race, I thought we were a big chance on the corner, blended into it nicely and just as little but disappointing late but we\u2019ll keep pressing on.\u201d<\/p>\n
Andrea Atzeni (Meydaan): \u201cI thought it was a good run; he just got a bit lost coming down the hill when the pace lifted. To be fair to him, once we straightened up, he really finished strongly. Maybe the track\u2019s a little bit tight for him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harry Coffey (Zardozi): \u201cShe travelled like she was going to produce more in the straight but then was very one-paced and was probably peaking on her run with 100 to go. She\u2019s racing dour and I think she needs a little bit of give in the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark Zahra (Middle Earth): \u201cHe was a bit dour. Travelled well probably until the half-mile then couldn\u2019t pick up and was dour to the line.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jordan Childs (Adelaide River): \u201cHe just wanted to pull too hard during the early and middle stages and that affected his finish.\u201d<\/p>\n
Blake Shinn (Vauban): \u201cI felt he was unsuited by the Caulfield track today. He was on his Sydney leg and just didn\u2019t seem to corner that well on the corners, so the big flat track at Flemington will suit him much better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Suguru Hamanaka (Golden Snap): \u201cI was quite hopeful so we\u2019re quite disappointed. It felt like it was tougher than Japanese ground and he just didn\u2019t handle it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Celine Gaudray (Plymouth): \u201cReally honest run from a young horse. From the wide draw we were able to get into a beautiful position, but he\u2019ll be one to look out for this time next year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Billy Egan (Bankers Choice): \u201cHe did really well. I think just a drop in grade, at this distance, I think he\u2019s going good enough to put away a good country cup.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luke Currie (Revelare): \u201cHe raced a bit closer than what I\u2019d hoped but had a nice enough run. He just came straight off the bridle and didn\u2019t pick up at all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jamie Mott (Land Legend): \u201cHe was obviously disappointing. He felt to me he was out of breath halfway, so he might be holding his breath.\u201d<\/p>\n
WATCH: The 2025 Caulfield Cup<\/p>\n
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