There was no doubt Numerian would perform well in the $1.2 million Q22 at Eagle Farm – the biggest question was how much he’d benefit from a Good 4 track.
But there was no need to worry about the surface, the six-year-old embracing the conditions to take an early lead and hang on in outstanding fashion to win by a length, with Tommy Berry aboard.
The $21 outsider with online betting sites will now enjoy and well-earned spell after coming into Saturday’s staying race over 2200m fresh from a Gosford Cup victory on May 7.
The Q22 2022 Replay
“I think we can probably set our sights on something nice in the spring now,” trainer Annabel Neasham told Sky Racing.
“I think so (he’ll spell). I’ll talk to the connections and we’ll work out where we go with him now, but with the performance he put in today he deserves to be set for something nice in the spring now.”
Neasham was delighted to pick up her star six-year-old from Ireland.
“I spoke to Richard Ryan who very kindly sent me the horse on behalf of Teme Valley. He does a great job, and obviously I was very excited when he sent him over here,” she said.
“The whole idea was to try and chase the good prizemoney with the good racing we’ve got here. We raced him sparingly at the start of the prep, so we decided to keep his legs fresh for this.
“I rang Richard earlier in the week and I said ‘how do you think he’ll go on a good track?’ Because he’s got good form on good tracks in a couple of runs.
“He said he’ll go well. He was just unsure if it was going to be firm. And I said, well it’ll be firm here compared to what he’s seen in Ireland.
“He relished it and it was a superb ride but Tommy – he just took the race by the scruff of the neck.”
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