Both trainer Ben Hayes and star jockey Mark Zahra referenced Crosshaven’s idiosyncrasies after his three-quarter length win in the Kevin Heffernan Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.
Which was why Zahra’s calmness and knowledge of the at-times volatile five-year-old was crucial in getting the gelding first across the line in the Group 3 feature worth $200,000 over 1400m.
Zahra produced a signature patient ride, asking his mount to launch a late turn of foot on the outside after starting from barrier seven.
Kevin Heffernan Stakes Replay
“We’ve had to be patient with him, and the owners have been very patient with us,” Hayes told Racing.com.
“He’s quite a difficult ride. He has a very awkward action and gets his head up.
“Mark got him to relax today, which is the key.
“He had a beautiful run and he really hit the line.”
Hayes said he was not sure what lay ahead for Crosshaven.
“We’ll have a good think about it. His rating is going to go right back up now,” he said.
“We’ll have to look at what’s around – I don’t think there’s too much.
“Maybe over Christmas there could be a good race for him.”
Zahra – who finished fifth aboard Crosshaven in the Village Stakes on October 8 – knew he had to resist the urge to make an earlier move.
“I didn’t have much of a plan going into the race. It just worked out perfect. Poland kicked and went forward,” he said.
“I just had a lot of cover with that wind down the side, which was important today.
“I waited. He wanted to come out before then, but I made him wait and go back in and wait another 200m.”
Zahra knew finding the front inside the final 200m would perfectly suit his gelding, and that was how the race transpired.
“He’s got that style where his head comes right up,” he said.
“He did a good job to fight on today because he’s better at fending them off than trying to catch them.
“He was able to hold them off to the line.”
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