Planning and execution handed Zac Purton and Japan a first Caulfield Cup as Admire Rakti rose above his rivals on Saturday.
Purton planned to get on a Japanese stayer earlier in the year. Admire Rakti’s owner Riichi Kondo obliged and Purton repaid his faith with the ride he needed to win.
It was ugly by Australian standards – three-wide throughout – but the result was sweet.
Admire Rakti ran down Rising Romance in the shadows of the post. James McDonald rode the runner-up beautifully for a disappointing result.
The margin was a long neck. Favourite Lucia Valentina was a half-neck away third.
Purton has had a sensational year, winning the Doncaster on Sacred Falls and the Hong Kong jockeys title, but the Caulfield Cup was special because of what he did to get it.
“I went to Japan to specifically get a ride in the Melbourne Cup because I knew they were starting to come back,” Purton said. “It has worked out well but it is not over yet. We still have the big one to go.”
Admire Rakti is the $5 favourite for the Melbourne Cup where trainer Tomoyuki Umeda believes he will improve.
“It is great to win this race for Japan for the first time,” he said. “His second run is always his best, so we go forward to the Melbourne Cup.”
Admire Rakti is open to a penalty but Purton doesn’t believe it is warranted.
“He already has 58kg and I don’t think he needs one because he has enough weight already,” Purton said. “It is different getting a penalty with a horse that has 53kg than one with top weight.”
While Purton thought about the future, McDonald and Rising Romance’s trainer Donna Logan were trying to find where they could have made up a long neck.
“It was a great ride from James. The best ride in the race but the best horse won,” Logan said. “She was unraced this time last year and she has just run second in the Caulfield Cup.”
McDonald was out of the gates like a shot from barrier 14 and on the fence after 200 metres. He then tracked the leaders but on the turn he railed up and hit the lead.
“I got there and thought ‘Gee there is long way to go’,” McDonald said. “I knew they would be coming and I was howling and yelling at her.
“I have watched it again and all I can come up with is she was a bit keen in the first 800 metres. That was as good as I could do and it wasn’t good enough.”
Purton also had a plan to follow and did it to perfection.
“The European and Japanese are different to the Australian horses, they appreciate a little galloping room. I had the opportunity to be one off the fence early and I did not want that,” he said.
“I could see horses were going to be caught three-wide and that’s the way they want to race.
” It was just a matter of keeping comfortable and happy. He had 58 kilos on his back and I wanted to give him his chance.”
Admire Rakti went to the centre of the track at the top of the straight and gave Rising Romance at least eight lengths but Purton was confident.
“I thought at 300 metres I was going to win but Rising Romance kicked on a bit more strongly than I thought. She kicked on but at the 150 metres,” he said.
“Luckily I was able to ease up on him the last bit and didn’t have to punish him. I’d punished him enough before that, so once he got the job done I was able to say ‘OK boy, well done’.
“And in the last 50 I was able to suck it all in and cruise to the line.”
Purton was fined $3000 for excessive use of the whip but it didn’t dim his winning mood.
Newcastle trainer Kris Lees was proud of his mare Lucia Valentina, which made its run outside Admire Rakti in the straight and was as strong as him on the line in a race where there was no tempo mid-race.
“Unfortunately they don’t run in lanes,” Lees said. “We were there with him and then on the turn we went to the outside, lost a bit of ground and once again she ran the best last sectional of the race.
“We go home [to Newcastle] and come back for the Melbourne Cup.”
This story first appeared in The Age
