Cup Win A Matter Of Attrition
The Age
Thursday February 21, 2008
MORNINGTON Cup winner Attrition again proved that horses trained on the circuit should never be discounted when racing on their home track.
The gallant grey, a winner of just three starts before yesterday's race, produced a strong late run to prevail in horrible conditions for trainer Pat Carey, while Arrowsweep ($12), also trained on track by Tony Noonan, finished a half-length away in second place after looking the winner on the home turn. Brave miler Correct Amoondo ($12) was third.The result kicked off a celebration of epic proportions for the horses' owners, who all hail from the area. "Six months ago we thought how good it would be if he could sneak into a Mornington Cup field," part owner Dean Hawkes said. "Well, we snuck in all right and won it!"Constant rain throughout the morning saw the track downgraded from a dead 4 to a slow 6, then again to a heavy 9, causing the scratching of pre-race favourite Arbitration, a noted dry-tracker. Caulfield-based Jukebox Johnny was scratched on race morning, paving the way for Attrition, who was originally an emergency, to sneak into the field.Earlier in the day, La Famelia registered her first stakes win in the listed 1200-metre Hareeba Stakes, despite trainer Mick Price's doubts. "I wasn't that confident today but well . . . I should have been," Price said.
© 2008 The Age
