3 minute read
Trainer and jockey quotes after New Energy takes out the Group 3 Lamaro’s Hotel Eclipse Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.
Race Result:
1st: New Energy (C Maher/M Zahra) - $4.20 fav
2nd: Poison Chalice (P Preusker/D Moor) - $4.40
3rd: Holymanz (C Maher/C Gaudray) - $12
Winning Time: 1:52.17 Last 600m: NA
Margins: Half-neck x 1-¼ lengths
New Energy moves late & does enough for his first win on Australian soil @cmaherracing continues their hot form with their third-straight stakes' win today pic.twitter.com/KyWkNApeC7
— Racing.com (@Racing) November 30, 2024
Winning Trainer: Ciaron Maher
On the horse: "He's a horse that he promised a lot when he came over. We gelded him while he was in the UK, because he was fairly unruly, and it's just taken him a while to settle into the routine and hit his straps.
"I was saying to Jamie (Lovett, Australian Bloodstock), he's come up really well, it's the most condition he's carried but he can be a bit of a handful at trackwork.
"He's been up in Sydney and the team have done a good job with him there. He's come down here, he's settled in and he's a horse that had some really good form over the UK and it's just taken him a while.
"I said to Mark (Zahra), if you can just get him out, he's always flashing. I said if you can just get him out and make the furlong the winning post it might work out.
"Well, it couldn't have worked out any more to the contrary, but it's fantastic and Australian Bloodstock, they just keep finding these good horses.
"I think this horse will go right in with it. He's a pretty good horse and he'll get a lot of confidence.
"He'd only won one race and tested a few punters' patience but the team have done a good job, beautiful ride by Mark and thanks to Australian Bloodstock."
Winning Jockey: Mark Zahra
On how he handled conditions and the pre-race plan: "He handled the ground fine, Ciaron said give him time to get there because he's always finishing when it's all over but I actually gave him no time to get there.
"I needed to put him in a spot to switch off, which I didn't get the whole way, but I found the fence and I had to squeeze through a gap late but I didn't mind his chase the last 20 when Poison Chalice kicked he had a chance to turn it up or win, and he won."
On pre-race confidence and the horse: "When you win one of 18 you've got no confidence, but his form was very good, to beat easily a field like today, and they promised we'd handle the wet - his Australian wet track form was a bit mixed - but he got through it good today and won well."
Better the Melbourne way: "I think so for sure, I can see why he's only won one (race), or two now, because he's very quirky but when things pan his way he showed what he can do."
