Glen Boss stood high and shook his head as if he didn't expect it, but in truth he thought the Magic Millions Cup was his and Lucky Hussler's a long way out.
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Lucky Hussler was three back on the fence and appreciated the fast tempo and chased down Strawberry Boy, which made a bold bid for victory from before the home turn.
"I was actually where I thought I would be in the run, but on the fence," Boss said. "When James [McDonald on Strawberry Boy] went I tracked up and didn't go around a horse. He has just got a great turn of foot this fella and he showed that again."
It continued a great association Boss has had with owner Glenn Makauskas, who put him on as an apprentice.
"I don't know if he remembers it, but I gave Glen his first Brisbane double," Makauskas said. "He has been riding for me for a while, but this is the best one he has been on."
Lucky Hussler charged past Strawberry Boy and stretched the margin to 1-1/2 lengths by the post with Baligari another 2-3/4 lengths away in third.
McDonald admitted he just found one better. "He gave a big kick, but I had a group 1 horse chasing me and he got me when nothing else got near me," he said.
Patience pays off
Peter Snowden has had to wait a good while for Wolf Cry to break his maiden, but he was made to sweat for five more minutes at the Gold Coast.
The son of Street Cry, a heavily backed favourite, faced a vet examination and had a plate changed before blitzing his rivals in race-record time in the Magic Millions Plate.
"He made us wait again, but once Blake [Shinn] got him in that position it was all good," Snowden said. "He has always been a nice horse and had a bit of soreness and growing pains.
"We are going to take him through his grades and aim him at one of the Guineas, either Randwick or Australian."
Shinn wanted to make sure everything was right with the valuable colt before the race.
"There were a few excruciating moments, minutes before the race," he said. "I trotted him up and he was feeling the plate and I just wanted everything to be right with him.
"Once the gates opened it was all right, he had a bit on them and he is going to get a mile and win much better races."
Winner on looks
Tango Rock was scratched at the barrier from the opener on the Gold Coast, leaving connections disappointed. However, strapper Steve Hutchinson did take something home after winning the best-presented horse award before a mishap where the colt struck itself on the way to the barriers.
Hitting the target
Queanbeyan trainer Joe Cleary has made a habit of setting targets with War Jet and meeting them. The lightly raced five-year-old made it seven wins from 15 starts in taking out the Magic Millions Country Cup at the Gold Coast.
"I spotted this race several months ago and set him for it, because he is a very special horse," Cleary said. "We wanted to win the Tony Campbell Memorial with him, because it is a special race for our family, then we set him for this race. We'll have a couple of drinks tonight and then we take him home and get him ready for the National Sprint and get the black type he deserves."
Hoop goes too early
Ryan Wiggins "got a bit excited" on Feltre as he charged at Tinto in the Magic Million Stayers Cup at the Gold Coast. The Queensland hoop went up in a salute as he fell a half-head short of victory and stewards pinched him for $1000.
"He thought he had won and got a bit excited," chief steward Allan Reardon said. "We only fined him a $1000 because we didn't think it had an effect on the result."
Denmagic a fighter
Taylor Marshall was relatively confident he had won on Denmagic to brighten David Pfieffer's mood at the end of a turbulent week – until he looked at the photo finish of the third at Canterbury.
"I thought I just got there, but looking at the finish the margin was next to nothing," said Marshall after Denmagic downed Pioneering and Chandana in a three-way blanket finish.
The official margins had a nose separating first and second and the same back to third, but it hardly looked like Denmagic would be the one returning to scale as winner after Pioneering had headed the filly in the straight.
"It had put a head on me and she fought back," Marshall said. "I didn't want to go too early, but credit to the horse as she was tough late. When I let her go she found a good two lengths and fought on late."
Hold the phone
Apprentice Blaike McDougall copped a stern rebuke from chief steward Ray Murrihy after being caught in possession of a mobile phone in the jockeys room after his first ride in Sydney. The teenage apprentice originally told stewards he did not know of the rule prohibiting riders from possessing their phone while in the jockeys sanctuary – one of the most serious offences in the eyes of stewards – before later admitting he had told a lie.
Southern District Racing Association stewards spoke to McDougall a fortnight ago about such prohibitions.
"This is my first time in town," McDougall said. "I've got a thousand things going through my mind. I'm in the wrong ... I'm guilty. [But] it's not as if I was sitting there using it."
McDougall said notifications on his phone from hours before it was seized proved he hadn't been using it. But Murrihy was far from impressed and dished out a $300 fine to the apprentice, who was represented by former champion jockey Darren Beadman in the hearing.
"Your first reaction should be to tell the truth and not a fib," Murrihy said.
