Dynamic Syndications Owners of ARBEITSAM celebrated as if they had won, as our wonderful galloper performed a career best when finishing 3rd just 2.2 lengths from winner HAPPY CLAPPER and just 0.2 length from runner-up COMIN’ THROUGH in Saturday’s Time Honoured Blue Riband Classic - The Star DONCASTER MILE Group 1 1600m.
In doing so, the Dynamic Syndications horse trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott for our team, crashed through the $1 million prizemoney ceiling, currently he's sitting at $1,045,500 with the promise of more to come.
In running 3rd in the Doncaster Mile, ARBEITSAM has run the race of his career.
HAPPY CLAPPER wins the Doncaster Mile Gr1 over Comin' Through and Arbeitsam
When
HAPPY CLAPPER hit the line the clock stopped at a sizzling
1:33.17 which was a New Race Record, lowering the
1:33.70 set by BELMURA LAD 38 years earlier in 1979 and just 0.04 secs outside
IKE’S DREAM track record set in 2004.
ARBEITSAM ran 1:33.47 which also lowered the previous race record by 0.23 seconds.
ARBEITSAM had done all the work, leading from the time the field had run 100m to the 250m mark at a tempo that broke the hearts of most of those chasing.
ARBEITSAM at his first attempt at a serious Group 1 event, it required the best male racehorse in Australia at present, who was just a little stronger and had enjoyed the easier run in transit, to out tough him over the concluding stages.
HAPPY CLAPPER is a mature 7 year-old at the prime of his career. He is a multiple Group 1 winner of 10 races and over $4 million before this run and had run second in the 2016 Doncaster to
WINX and again second in the 2017 to
IT’S SOMEWHAT.
For
ARBEITSAM to run such a gallant race behind this star of the turf was simply awesome.
ARBEITSAM didn’t get his own way in front as it appeared he may on paper when inexplicably,
TOM MELBOURNE (Kerrin McEvoy) chose to race upside down from his regular pattern and came up to eyeball
ARBEITSAM from the get go. This put significant extra early tempo into the race but that tactic certainly cost
TOM MELBOURNE any hope of winning, as that horse weakened out to finish 5th however it did set a tempo that suited
TOM MELBOURNE’S stablemates COMIN’ THROUGH and D’ARGENTO who hit the line having had softer runs with cover.
HAPPY CLAPPER enjoyed the drop on the leaders sitting in 3rd spot one back on the fence with cover as
TOM MELBOURNE was serving it up to
ARBEITSAM in transit.
At the 300m it looked as if the early fast tempo had taken its toll on
ARBEITSAM as those chasing him began to swoop and at the 250m
ARBEITSAM was back in fourth spot under pressure as
HAPPY CLAPPER went to the front. However it was at this point, the will and determination of
ARBEITSAM kicked in and he fought back into second spot as the
GAI WATERHOUSE bone and muscle philosophy kicked-in. It was only in the final two strides did he yield second place to
COMIN’ THROUGH.
Rider Mick Dee said :
"Huge run - would have been nice if I could have had the lead a bit softer but obviously in Group 1 Doncaster's that isn't going to happen. He was very tough running third. On the bend I didn't think I was going to run that close. When pressured he kicked into gear - great effort".
Not many in the press gave
ARBEITSAM any hope of winning or running a place however
our Dynamic Owners knew that this race was our mission and it had been planned last August after he
won the Rowley Mile at Hawkesbury that we should consider a crack at the
Doncaster.
The teams at Dynamic Syndications and Tulloch Lodge were meticulous in the planning of ARBEITSAM ensuring he turned up at the peak of his powers on Day 1 of the Championships to give the race our best shot.
Everything about this preparation had gone to plan. This included a very light summer with just 2 starts in a
$100,000 Magic Millions race at Wyong over the unsuitable 1200m on 21/12 where he finished 4th to
WILD HEART and then 3 weeks later into the
$1m 1400m Magic Millions Cup RL where he was a fabulous runner-up.
He wasn’t wound-up as much as possible that day because we had
the World’s Richest 1600m Race – The Doncaster Mile on our agenda and he was caught in last 50m by
CARE TO THINK with a big 2.5 length gap back to third.
AREBEITSAM then returned to the paddock for 10 days to get over the trip up north before returning to Randwick and then having a soft trial he resumed in the
Liverpool City Cup Gr3 at what was now a very unsuitable 1300m. He had no luck in that event when electing to get back and take a sit in the run, on the fence which was much slower than out wide and incredibly, he was held up the length of the straight, unable to get out of a pocket.
Many pundits thought that run was below average but connections knew the race was too short and he wasn’t fully wound up with the bigger races to come.
Next he lined up in the
Gr2 Ajax Stakes over 1500m where now at 85-90% fit, he ran a sensational race to cross the line in fourth spot, half a length behind the winner
COMIN’ THROUGH and the runner-up
TOM MELBOURNE. A minor protest 4th v 5th was upheld and his official placing was 5th. This however was still a new career high rating score for
ARBEITSAM.
ARBEITSAM winning the Gr3 Neville Sellwood
Next
GAI was adamant that
ARBEITSAM was unbeatable over the 2000m of the
Gr3 NEVILLE SELLWOOD and again,
Australia’s First Lady of Racing was correct. ARBEITSAM led them from pillar to post.
GAI was firmly of the belief that
ARBEITSAM needed a hit-out at the 2000m to ensure he was rock-hard fit for the tough Gr1 Doncaster Mile and would be able to sustain challenges.
As it turned out
ARBEITSAM smashed the long-standing Race Record in the
DONCASTER and we believed he would be tough through the line, which was witnessed by his courageous fightback when headed.
A lesser horse would have turned up the white flag but not
ARBETISAM, he dug and fought all the way and it took a New Record Time to beat him home.
A decision on his immediate future will be announced in the coming days as we weigh-up many different options available. Two upcoming options are the
JRA Plate 2000m on 21 April and then a possible trip north for the 2000m
DOOMBEN CUP Gr1 at WFA on 19/5 is certainly an option before a spell to look at a race like the EPSOM in the Spring.
Importantly
ARBEITSAM pulled up extremely well - as if he hadn’t gone around. He licked out his feed bin overnight and was bright and bubbly on Sunday and again Monday morning, he is such a tough horse.
ARBEITSAM finished last preparation as a Listed Winner of the Rowley Mile.
This preparation he has advanced to be a Group 3 winner and is now Gr1 placed in the World’s Richest Mile and was runner-up in the $1m Magic Millions Cup.
Dynamic Syndications purchased ARBEITSAM at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale for $120,000 + GST. So far this preparation, he has banked another $574,350 taking his total earnings to $1,045,500 from 19 Starts: 7 Wins - 3 Seconds - 4 thirds.
Well done to our Dynamic Team that race ARBEITSAM: Dynamic Syndications Racing (Mgr Dean Watt, Adam Watt), Mrs Rachel Budd, Mrs Shirley Halliwell, Mrs Cheryl Read, Mrs Mary Roberts, George Rassos, Ross Gall, John Yianni, Mark Wolens, Steve Loane, Dave Batchelor, John Allen, Norm Honey, Lou Seminara, Geoff Timmony, Len Woolhouse, Harry Sookias, Philip Roberts and C J R Racing Syndicate (Mgr Charlie Deeb).