3 minute read

Trainer and jockey quotes following the Restricted Listed Inglis Banner won by Within The Law at Flemington on Saturday.

Race Result:

1st: Within The Law (Bjorn Baker/Ben Melham) - $7
2nd: Chisholm (Price & Kent Jnr/C Schofield) - $4.20 fav
3rd: Rohesia (Team Hayes/M Dee) - $11

Winning Time: 58.49 Last 600m: N/A

Margins: 1-1/4 x 1-3/4

Winning Trainer: Bjorn Baker

FROM NINE

Good way to get a guide on how good the filly is: "It's great. It's great to come down here and great to win with Darby Racing. They keep finding good two-year-olds. Of course they've won the Golden Slipper (with She Will Reign) with Ben Melham aboard, so she's another good two-year-old they've found. So it's a big thrill to kick off the day in good style."

Trials gave a good handle on what to expect today: "I just thought she had good fitness. She'd had two trials and she paraded really well today, so I had a little bit of confidence from that. It was great to get off to the perfect start in a big race, and big thanks to the sponsors Inglis."

Overpass in same colours later in day in Champions Sprint: "Yeah, another Inglis horse and he's been our stalwart, Darby (Racing) and I and Josh Parr. Josh Parr actually rode this filly on Tuesday and said she went good enough to bring down. I'm really excited about Overpass. He always puts 100 per cent in, you know you come in with the most genuine horse I've ever trained, so hopefully he can run up to that and if he does he'll be very competitive."

Racing.com

More of the Inglis money here at Flemington jumps in: Not a bad start, of course, at Warwick Farm in Sydney, they're our neighbours, so it's great to win the Inglis race.

"Great to win it with a progressive two-year-old for Darby too. It's very important to win these two-year-old races. Darby puts a lot of emphasis on it, so we need horses up and running, and Ben Melham's won the ultimate race, the two-year-old race, the Golden Slipper for Darby, so it's good to get that combo back together.

First recollections of laying eyes on her?: "Nice filly, and I guess today, the first recollection, she's rated really well for a filly that's just come down. She arrived Friday morning, so she's done everything very, very well. She s been straightforward and she raced like a professional today, which she needed to do to be competitive.

That professionalism to chase is that something she's shown a little bit of at home?: "She's been just amazing. No nonsense, no fuss, straightforward. Josh Parr actually rode her on track work on Tuesday and he said, 'Look, she went well enough to have a crack' and it's great to be down here and hopefully its only the first time you see those colours at the winning pace in front today."

Winning Jockey: Ben Melham

FROM NINE

Handled the occasion in first start: "Yeah, a lot comes down to how they do handle the big days and she looked well educated. She made significant improvement from her first trial to her second trial and she got beaten by a smart one in her second trial. So, she did everything right and that takes them a long way in these early two-year-old races.

"She had a sweet trip. She just dropped in behind the speed and chances, and was a little bit wayward when I first came out to make a fist of it and just took a little bit of persuading. I put a couple around her backside and she dropped the clutch and she let down well. Nice filly going places."

Pride Of Jenni later in the Champions Mile: "We all know how good she is if she turns up. So hopefully she turns up today and she's going to be mighty hard to beat if that's the case."

Racing.com

What did she show you?: She's a nice filly. Obviously well schooled up in Sydney and made significant improvement from her first trial to her second and beat by a smart horse in her second trial. So, very straightforward filly, very well educated and that certainly takes them a long way. She had a good drop on them, got into a great rhythm and I felt she was always going to win. She just took a bit of persuading to get past the leader, but once she knuckled down she was pretty dominant in the finish.

Benefit from having a target to chase?: Without a doubt. Especially horses that haven't been up the straight of their first go as early season two-year-olds, it depends on the individual, but I got a sense going into the barriers that she'd be better with something to chase down. I felt the two main dangers would be in front of her in the run and give her something good to aim up at and she was very effective that day."