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It was a win, a narrow one, by Proverb in the $100,000, listed Bacardi – World's No 1 Rum Dulcify Quality at Rosehill on Saturday, but it gave trainer Peter Snowden and jockey Kerrin McEvoy cause for thought about where the Commands gelding might go next.
Proverb had been well backed as the $1.60 favourite and he would have given his supporters just as much cause for some thought in the running, but in the end he had enough to stave off a determined challenge by Indianapolis and Tommy Berry.
The two had raced together in third and fourth place for most of the trip with Unforgivable and James McDonald out in front carting the field along at a moderate tempo.
At the top of the main straight Proverb and McEvoy were in a pocket with Indianapolis outside as they fanned across coming off the turn. Proverb shouldered his way out and it seemed as if he would then go away from the field.
However Indianapolis, while not exactly showing the speed associated with his name, was not going away and the two raced shoulder to shoulder for the rest of the straight. Laser Flash and Glyn Schofield came up outside the pair and briefly matched them.
Over the final 100m it was Proverb and Indianapolis (Redoute's Choice) in a tussle for the line with the former not giving way for an eventual short half-head win.
Laser Flash (Redoute's Choice) was third, the margin 1 3/4L with Strength fourth. The time was 1.59.55 on the Dead 5 with the final 600m in 37.32.
“A win is a win no matter if it is a neck or 10 lengths it does not matter and he won so that is the main thing,” said Snowden.
“He had a lovely run throughout but he was in awkward spot on the corner because they started to swoop up around him and the horse in front was going nowhere, so he did the right thing to push out.
“He was out in plenty of time and I thought he would win a bit further than what he did,” he said.
Snowden said that he was doubtful of backing Proverb up in next week's Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick and that he might bring him back to 1600m as a distance with the $250,000, Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes over that distance at Flemington on Victoria Derby Day, November 3rd a possible target.
“I think he struggles with the distance and today he should have won by more if he was going to be a contender in staying type races. No matter what you run in you have to have a turn of foot,” he said.
“It was a good effort but I thought he was going to let go a bit better than what he did,” said McEvoy.
“We will sit down and nut out which way we will go with him,” he added.