Spillway Leads 1-2 Finish for Hayes, Dabernig
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Training partners David Hayes and Tom Dabernig enjoyed a one-two finish in the Australian Cup (Aus-I) March 14 at Flemington as Spillway got to the finish line just a whisker ahead of stablemate Extra Zero.
Pacesetter The Cleaner maintained command into the stretch, where he was challenged by favored Happy Trails, but Spillway kicked strongly from mid-field to snatch the lead and appeared to have secured the victory until longshot stablemate Extra Zero came flying late to just miss by the slimmest margin.
"I probably pushed the button five strides too early, but everything stopped and I was going so easily. I thought the other horse won on the line," winning rider Michael Walker told www.abc.net.au.
In winning for the first time at the top level, Spillway was timed in 2:00.09 for the 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles) on turf rated good. The British-bred 5-year-old son of Rail Link tallied his first win at the elite level and snapped an eight-race winless stretch dating from a group III victory last April at Randwick. He has a 5-2-3 record from 22 career starts.
Happy Trails stayed on for third, followed by The Cleaner in fourth and three-time Melbourne Cup (Aus-I) runner-up Red Cadeaux in fifth after racing wide throughout, while 2014 Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist was eighth, the latter two well back in a race considered too short for either.
Spillway was bred by Cherry Park Stud and is campaigned by a partnership. His dam is the winning Cadeaux Genereux mare Flower Market.