Many punters were knocked out of the quaddie by a $151 shot but the win was a breakthrough success for a new arrival to Melbourne.
Photo: Darryl Sherer
MARSHALL MAKES BIG-PRICED SPLASH AT FLEMINGTON
Apprentice Taylor Marshall could not have picked a better way to introduce himself to Melbourne punters than his win in Nozomi on Saturday at Flemington.
Marshall, the son of Melbourne Cup-winning jockey John Marshall, headed to Melbourne last month to join Danny O'Brien's Flemington stable.
Marshall had his first city ride at last Saturday's Caulfield meeting and booted home his first winner in Victoria at Warrnambool on Tuesday before killing most quaddies with his win on the $151 chance Nozomi in The Rails BM84 Handicap (1400m).
Nozomi stayed hard up against the rail before the Lee and Anthony Freedman-trained galloper, who drifted from $81 to his starting price held on to score by a long head.
"I've only been here a bit over a week and Danny has been very supportive to me and I couldn't have asked for a better start," Marshall, who claims 2kg in town, said.
Marshall finished fifth at his other ride at the meeting aboard Another Bullseye for O'Brien in the New Season Handicap (1700m).
NEWITT PLAYING CLOSE TO HOME
Experienced jockey Craig Newitt is keeping his rides close to home for the next few weeks as he awaits the birth of his fourth child.
Newitt's wife Karli is due to give birth at the end of the month but the jockey is tipping an early delivery and limiting his bookings to venues close enough to home.
"She's due at the end of the month but being a fourth child, no doubt it will come early," Newitt said.
"It could come any time and I'm tipping it's not far away so I'm riding within an hour of home."
NO TEST RESULTS YET FOR MORRISH
It has been almost a month but stewards have still not received the test results from samples taken from Show A Star on the day of the gelding's controversial scratching from a race at Flemington.
Stewards withdrew the Simon Morrish-trained galloper from a race on July 8 after alleging the horse had been treated at the trainer's Ballarat stable on the morning on the race.
Vets claimed the horse had a haematoma consistent with being injected with syringe, which prompted its scratching, but stewards are still none the wiser as to what the horse allegedly had been given.
Chief steward Terry Bailey said analysts had to test for a vast range of substances given, "they haven't got something in particular to look for" but said they expect the findings next week.
Show A Star ran sixth in the John and Denise Cobcroft Recognition Handicap (1600m) for current trainer Archie Alexander at Flemington on Saturday.
BIG MONEY STILL NOT TEMPTING ROYAL SYMPHONY OWNERS
Royal Symphony's owners keep rejecting big offers for the exciting colt and trainer Tony McEvoy suggests they continue to "hold tight".
Many offers from both domestic and international sources have arrived for Royal Symphony, who is unbeaten in three starts and on the Caulfield Guineas path, with the highest believed to be in the vicinity of $3 million.
McEvoy said the son of Domesday would make his first three-year-old appearance in the Listed Exford Plate (1400m) at Flemington on September 16 before a run in the Group II Bill Stutt Stakes over 1600m at Moonee Valley 13 days later.
"If he wins the Stutt, they'll offer five (million dollars) and if he wins the Caulfield Guineas, he's worth eight (million dollars)," McEvoy said.
"So hold tight."
10-YEAR DROUGHT BROKEN ON FRIDAY
Congratulations to jockey Jarrod Lorensini, who booted home his first winner in almost 10 years, at Warracknabeal on Friday.
Lorensini won more than 450 races before taking a break in October 2007 from which he took almost a decade to return.
The 38-year-old piloted $17 chance Cheners to victory for Naracoorte trainer Sue Jaensch.
