Apache Cat returns to take 10,000 victory again
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Apache Cat takes on the challenge by Black Piranha and comes out victorious (Noel Pascoe photo)
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The people’s favourite Apache Cat has made it back-to-back wins by again taking out the Group 1 Carlton Draught Doomben 10,000 1350m.
This time last year the baldy faced champion cemented his place in history, winning the Doomben 10,000 to round out five Group 1 wins in a row.
Apache Cat (G6 Lion Cavern USA-Tennessee Blaze) now has 18 wins to his name, including eight Group 1’s and another nine Stakes races and has amassed over $4.39 million in prizemoney.
His jockey at Doomben on Saturday, May 23 was Damien Oliver, a man who is no stranger to winning on top class horses.
He won the same race in 2002 aboard Falvelon and this latest win gave him his fifth Group 1 win for the season. Oliver believes Apache Cat has a place among his other champions.
“He’s stringing together an amazing record now,” he said. “He’s won quite a number of Group 1s.
“He’s been up at the top level for a few years now so he’s getting up with those top horses.
“Apache Cat’s been a top class horse for a long time and it’d take a brave man to get off him.”
The $3.50 race favourite and topweight jumped from barrier seven and got in a good spot trailing the leaders. Heading to the home turn he started to move up behind them before taking the lead in the straight. He travelled along in the middle of the field with a strong lead.
Black Piranha (Tye Angland) put in a challenging run and caught up to the leader and looked the chance to give trainer Con Karakatsanis a race-to-race double.
The crowd’s hearts were in their mouths as Apache Cat was declared the winner by a head.
All Silent (Craig Williams) placed third by a length and a quarter.
As they returned to scale, the big crowd roared in congratulations for both the six-year-old gelding with the white blaze and the champion jockey. They chanted, “Ollie, Ollie, Ollie. Oi, oi, oi!”
“His unusual markings really adore him to the crowd and they gave us a wonderful reception today,” said Oliver.
“What a star he is.”
The track was rated a Heavy-9 and Oliver believed this worked in their favour. “Going to the gates today on that softer track today I really felt him fantastically and I thought he’s in for a super run today,” he said.
Apache Cat ran third in the BTC Cup a fortnight earlier over a good track and the weather in Brisbane didn’t hinder his chances in the 10,000.
“He was probably going too well,” said Oliver. “I was wishing that he hadn’t had the blinkers on coming to the turn because he was just going too well and arrived much earlier than I wanted to.
“I didn’t want to interrupt his momentum by holding him back too much.
“He was just a long way to be in front so far from home but he was pretty brave and I was just glad he held on in the end.
“I asked him for a supreme effort and he answered every challenge.”
Part-owner Paul Radford was ecstatic with the win and was grateful to trainer Greg Eurell, the jockey and the Cat’s fan club.
“Apache’s been a great horse,” he said. “We wanted to win this one and now his name is on the trophy twice.
“It’s a heavy track with tough conditions. It was a brilliant ride and Greg prepared him to be a tough horse.”
Eurell is now looking to target mile races for the six-year-old now that the sprinter is maturing and he was grateful to the horse that has given him eight Group 1 wins. “He’s done it for us and we appreciate it very much,” he said.
QUEENSLAND Racing web news: Hollie Roberts – May 25
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