SCOTT Aspery got a couple of “kicks” out of being a winner at his home track The Hunter meeting on Saturday – but one of them he certainly didn’t need!
The Newcastle trainer was, to use his own words, in a “world of pain” as he watched his heavily-backed Uzziah ($2.60 favorite) lead throughout under apprentice Molly Bourke in the Benchmark 94 Handicap (1300m).
Having only three horses in work at Broadmeadow, it was a terrific “kick” to be amongst the winners on Newcastle’s biggest raceday.
But he was nursing a very sore left arm after earlier being kicked by one of fellow Newcastle trainer Kris Lees’ horses near the tie-up stalls, and the celebrations had to be put on hold to enable him to visit Belmont Hospital afterwards.
“The left forearm was fractured,” Aspery said on Sunday morning.
“Kris’ horse was being walked past and suddenly kicked out and got me on the arm.
“I had to get Kris’ offsider Danny Greer to saddle up Uzziah and the clerk of the course to help me as well.”
Aspery was quite emotional when interviewed by Sky’s Greg Radley after Uzziah had won, and today explained the reasons why.
“There were a couple of factors,” he said. “Obviously I was in a fair bit of pain, but I was also feeling the pressure because Uzziah was so heavily backed, even though I knew he was over the odds when $11 was offered earlier in the week.
“It was a great result to win a race on my home track’s biggest day; the same course where I trained my first winner many years back when I was based at Warwick Farm.”
That horse was Dictatorship, who joined Aspery’s team after being with a number of other prominent trainers.
At his first start for his new trainer and as a $31 outsider ridden by Robyn Freeman, he upset $1.26 hotpot Hiatus in a 900m Maiden Plate on February 5, 2011.
Dictatorship was a $3000 purchase, only $2000 less than Aspery also outlaid to secure Uzziah at the 2020 Magic Millions yearling sale in Adelaide.
The now six-year-old gelding has won seven races and been placed eight times, and earned just over $433,000.
Aspery bought Uzziah online and explained why he was keen to get him.
“I had been managing a spelling and breaking-in property on the Central Coast, and Chris Waller sent a number of his horses there,” he said.
“A couple were by Uzziah’s sire Outreach, and I was impressed with them. They broke in well and were sensible.
“When I saw a video of Uzziah on the internet, he looked a nice type and was cheap.”
Aspery had no qualms about bypassing the $1m Group 2 The Hunter with Uzziah in favor of the Benchmark 94 over the same distance.
“We’ll never know of course how he would have gone, but they ran faster time (1:16.09) in The Hunter compared with our 1:16.91, but Uzziah’s last 600m (33.80s) was quicker than Briasa’s 34.40s,” he said.
“My reasoning was that Uzziah would get control in the Benchmark 94, and that’s exactly what happened.
“He did the job, and I’m happy and he has pulled up well.
“But he won’t be backing up next week at Kembla Grange in The Gong (1600m). We’ll let the dust settle.
“There’s the Group 3 Festival Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on November 30, and a second option is to wait another week for a Benchmark 94 Handicap (1400m) at the same track.”
There is a real local connection with Uzziah. The gelding’s dam Heavensentme (by Holy Roman Emperor) scored her only win at Newcastle in a 1400m Maiden Handicap in July 2013, when prepared by former Newcastle trainer Peter Eggleston.
HOOFNOTE: As this story was being written, another son of Outreach won at Wellington on Sunday.
Five-year-old Carbrook, having his first start for Wyong trainer Mark Howard, took the Maiden Plate (1100m) as a $2.25 favorite after jockey Jenny Duggan pushed him between the two leaders in the straight.
He had been trained previously at Scone, and was having his 12th start and had been placed on seven occasions.
Story John Curtis, November 17, 2024 - Pics Bradley Photos
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