Race Result:
1st: Leiter (L Nolen/T Hughes) - $17
2nd: I’m Telling Ya (M Dee/A & A Yargi) - $15
3rd: Plaquette (J Kah/J Cummings) - $3F
Winning Time: 1:04.01 Last 600m: 33.64
Margins: Long Neck x ½ Head
Flemington-based trainer Tom Hughes has closed out Cup week on a high with a first-up victory from his five-year-old gelding Leiter in the Seppelt Drumborg Grand Handicap (1100m).
Leiter, who also placed up the Flemington straight as a three-year-old, was prepared perfectly for his first-up assignment to hold on to win by a long-neck over the fast-finishing Amy and Ash Yargi-trained I’m Telling Ya.
It was an even sweeter win for jockey Luke Nolen who copped a black eye from the very same horse earlier this week.
“When I got on him the other day he headbutted me. I didn’t think it was that bad, but it ended up being worse than I thought it’d be,” he said. “A bit of redemption in my eyes about him. I forgive him now.”
Trainer Tom Hughes was delighted to finish the carnival off on a high.
“It’s a big thrill. We gave him eight to 10 weeks off after his last prep. We just brought him up nice and quiet, thanks to a nice owner. He had two nice trials and did everything right. It’s nice to win. It’s my boy’s birthday today and dad hasn’t been too well,” Hughes said.
Leiter was a $17 chance with TAB, while the $3 favourite with TAB settled for third place.
