Adelaide trainer Stuart Gower forgot one important piece of information as he legged replacement jockey Brett Prebble aboard Mongolian Marshal (NZ) (High Chaparral) at Flemington.
As Gower explained post winning the TAB Supports National Jockeys Trust (1600m), a heat of the VRC-CRV Winter Championship, on Saturday that Mongolian Marshal is best saved for one last dash at his rivals.
Settling at the tail of the field, Prebble allowed Mongolian Marshal to unwind quickly where he hit the front 200m from home.
What looked like being a comfortable win turned into an agonising wait for connections after Ocean Miss made a late dive.
In a deceptive finish, former Kiwi Mongolian Marshal lasted by a nose from Ocean Miss (Ocean Park) with France’s Boy (Equiano) a further three-quarters-of-a-length away.
“I thought we got beat,” Gower said.
“The only thing I forgot to tell Brett – and he rode him a treat – was ‘don’t hit the front too soon because he pulls up and waits for them’.
“Thank God he got the photo.”
Mongolian Marshal was having his first outing for seven weeks and Gower said he may have learned a lesson with the gelding.
“We were going to run in the R A Lee Stakes(Gr.3, 1600m) last week but on the Tuesday morning he had a bout of colic, so I had to treat him,” Gower said.
“And once you treat them, seven days with the drugs in the system, we had to wait.
“The plan was going to be run today and then back up next week over 2000 metres.
“But we might be better off taking him home and keeping him a little bit fresh and head to the (Winter Championship) Final.
“I think he’s a better horse when it is wet, but I’m rapt he’s got the result today.”
Originally raced in New Zealand by Inner Mongolia Rider Horse, Mongolian Marshal was initially trained by Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, for whom he won the Gr.3 Waikato Cup (2400m).
He was sold privately last year to clients of Gower’s and has advanced his record to seven wins for $442,302 in prizemoney.
Sold by Cambridge Stud as a yearling for $220,000 at Karaka, Mongolian Marshal is out the Dehere mare Ardeche.
