After being heavily backed and jumping as a clear favourite in the Group 3 Premier’s Cup, Hezashocka (+125) from the Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr stable has taken out the 2400m contest, thanks primarily to a peach of a ride from Jamie Kah.
The son of Shocking jumped nicely from barrier three, and Kah was able to settle one horse off the fence and just behind the leaders, which allowed her mount to settle and get into a nice rhythm.
Knights Order (+2000) and Goldman (+550) led the field up and assured a strong gallop around the Eagle Farm circuit, while Double Cherry (+3000) and King Frankel (+1700) settled on their backs.
As the field hit the 600m mark, the tempo lifted considerably, but with most of his rivals already off the bit, it was the eventual winner who travelled up to the leader and took over by the 300m mark.
By the time they hit the 150m mark, it was Hezashocka in front of the fast-finishing Alegron (+1800) on his outside, and those two cleared out from the rest of the field, going over the line in that order.
2024 Premier’s Cup Replay – Hezashocka
Michael Kent Jnr was on course to speak about the win of Hezashocka and what could be next for the in-form six-year-old gelding.
“What a ride by Jamie. She said pre-race ‘I’ll be fifth, one-off’. There you go,” Kent Jnr said.
“He won the Gosford Cup. we had a plan to come here, three weeks and give him a spin around in the Doomben Cup. He ran super.
“He loves soft tracks, he’s going great and a big group of owners here.
“The Q22 might appeal. That is the obvious one.
“When this horse finds form he normally holds it. We lost him for a bit on firmer track but back on softer tracks he is just thriving.
“I’d say for $1.2 million, why wouldn’t we go there?”
Jamie Kah was very happy with the win post-race.
“I just said to the owners that I probably shouldn’t get paid, that was too easy,” Kah said.
“He’s just a gentleman to ride and he’s been running so well.
“He ran well last start, just in the wrong part of the track and if he jumps and puts himself there, he is really competitive and today everything worked out.
“He’s been in the zone his last few starts. He’s been running so well and needed the right run in the race.”
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