And They're Bracing: Wet Workout For Gala Day

Sydney Morning Herald

Wednesday April 23, 2008

Jessica Halloran

IN THE grey dawn, mud flew and jockeys landed in dark puddles. Two horses threw off their jockeys and bolted into the distance. They were later caught more a kilometre away.

The trainer Grahame Begg was soon on the radio after picking his jockey up out of the mud and calling up someone to try to tame the beast that had galloped away.

"Terrible," said David Hayes of the conditions, as he ran into the trainers' hut. "Wet and cold. We've been a bit unlucky with the weather being so bad. But I can't think of anything more enjoyable when the weather is good. You earn your money on wet, cold mornings."

As the rain sheeted down outside the hut, Bart Cummings chomped on an apple while trying to spy his horses through the wet haze. The murmur among those in the hut was how the Randwick track would cope come Doncaster and Derby Day on Saturday. How would their horses manage on a heavy track?

Through early-morning downpour and chill they kept working furiously to find out.

The bush jockey turned city winner Peter Robl was one of many looping around Randwick in the dark.

"It's a bit like riding a bicycle in the rain," he said. "It's never nice to ride work in the rain."

Robl is due to be aboard Dealer Principal in the AJC Derby and after taking the Rosehill Guineas winner for a spin on the grass he was confident his mount was in form. "Dealer Principal worked fine," he said.

Yesterday was also a chance for some Australia Jockey Club members to view some of the best horses and jockeys of the carnival at work. In the hut, they munched on pastries and sipped coffee while watching the horses work, and gossiped about their chances.

"I'm really looking forward to it," Hayes said. "There's a lot of Group Ones this week. This time of year you want your horses to perform well, and if they do you get a large part of your yearly income. I'm very hopeful."

His AJC Derby hope, Largo Lad, which will be steered by Darren Beadman, had no problems in the conditions yesterday. "We tested him in the wet today and he seemed OK," Hayes said. "Hopefully, he's a Melbourne Cup horse for this year."

The line-up - Sport, Page 34

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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