CONNECTIONS of a pair of Western Australian-trained autumn carnival contenders have heaped praise on the Bendigo Jockey Club for its role in helping them prepare their horses.
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The endorsement came after the Justin Warwick-trained Material Man and Quilista completed special track gallops at the White Hills racecourse on Wednesday morning.
Warwick’s travelling foreman Pat Keating said he was grateful for the opportunity to work the horses on the course proper of one of Australia’s best racetrack surfaces.
“We appreciate (track manager) Bernard Hopkins and the track maintenance men for allowing us on here,” Keating said.
“It’s great the club has given this opportunity.”
Quilista, who has been transferred back to his original trainer Warwick following the demise of the Darren Weir stable, and All-Star Mile contender Material Man are being stabled at the Maldon property of Brian and Ashley McKnight while in Victoria.
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“Due to circumstances we were stick in a bit of a quandary over where we would stay, but Ash put his hand up and said we could stay there,” Keating said.
“He’s been running us around and takes us wherever we need to go. Anything we need he does for us.
“Hopefully we can repay his support with a few winners while we are here.”
Material Man, the winner of the Group 2 Perth Cup in 2018, will have the second run of his Melbourne campaign in this Saturday’s $500,000 Group 1 Futurity Stakes at Caulfield.
The seven-year-old gelding finished sixth in the Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes at Caulfield a fortnight ago, in an effort which pleased both his trainer and foreman.
“He was only beaten a length and a half and the race wasn’t really run to suit him – he’s a 2000m or 2400m horse at his best,” Keating said.
“His last two weeks have been great – (jockey) John Allen gave him a gallop at Ballarat last Friday and was very happy with him and the same with Harry Coffey today (Wednesday).
“Everything going well, we will head to Saturday and then onwards and upwards hopefully to the All-Star Mile and maybe the Australian Cup.
“His definite focus is the (All-Star) Mile, that’s what he is here for.”
Material Man was firmly ensconced inside the top 10 of voting for the inaugural $5-million feature before the weekend’s blackout.
The first 10 runners – elected by public vote – in the All-Star Mile field will be announced tomorrow.
Quilista won four races in Western Australia for Warwick before being moved to the Weir stable in early 2017.
The five-year-old mare has since won four more times, but has not raced since his run in the Group 3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes at Sandown in November.
Coffey, who rode both Warwick-trained gallopers on Wednesday, said both horses had impressed with their work.
“It was a nice gallop heading to Saturday for Material Man, which needed to happen because he is in a Group 1,” he said.
The Bendigo track is one of the best you can ride on in Victoria and this morning was no exception – I always enjoy riding at Bendigo.
- Harry Coffey
“But he felt real, good underneath me.
“Quilista hasn’t raced this time in and is building towards her first-up run. I had a lot to do with her at Darren Weir’s and she was her usual self.
“I’ve actually ridden her in a race (the 2018 Oakleigh Plate) and know here quite well and today was no exception, she was very full of herself and strong.”
Like stable foreman Keating, Coffey - who won the Group 1 Australasian Oaks in 2018 aboard Sopressa - was lavish in his praise for the Bendigo track.
“(It was) beautiful. We just went along on the outside, but they had a nice bit of water on it and some give for us today, which was nice,” he said.
“These horses will come through it well.
“The Bendigo track is one of the best you can ride on in Victoria and this morning was no exception – I always enjoy riding at Bendigo.”
Coffey will have one ride at Sandown today aboard the Bob Donat-trained Tatunka, who was an impressive winner of his debut start at Kyneton earlier this month.
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