Jockey Stephen Baster was quick to make amends for his Australian Cup protest defeat when he drove Purple Smile to a tough win in the Group 2 $400,000 Adelaide Cup (3200m) at Morphettville today.
Purple Smile scored a tough win in the Adelaide Cup[ at Morphettville. Photo by Jenny Barnes.
Baster was first across the line in the Group 1 $1.5m Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington last Saturday but was relegated to second after jockey Hugh Bowman on Preferment successfully protested against him for causing interference in the straight.
Today’s win was some consolation for Baster who claimed his second Adelaide Cup after winning on the Cliff Brown trained The A Train in 2002.
“Definitely (a consolution),” Baster said.
“I’ve been in racing a long time and I know it has its ups and downs and you have to celebrate the ups, but unfortunately there is quite a few downs as well.”
“It hurt to run second in the Australian Cup, the horse ran super and I am sure he is going to be good horse in the future.”
“Now we are here for the Adelaide Cup and we’ve won.”
“It was a fantastic effort by this horse, he toughed it out.”
“He was a bit deep going around the first turn, I had cover.”
“I had a nice little cart up behind them and to his credit he was really strong to the line.”
Purple Smile didn’t go to the barriers friendless and firmed in on course betting from $31 to start at $16 and had a long head to spare over runner up Tunes (Jamie Kah) who was one of the outsiders of the field at $41.
$2.35 favourite Real Love had a tough run three wide for the most of the way and joined in on the home turn but under hard riding from Brad Rawiller was unable to pick up the first two placegetters and finished three quarters of length from the winner in third spot.
Baster had Purple Smile hard up against Tunes in the straight and couldn’t see Real Love looming up out in the middle of the track.
“I obviously couldn’t see, but she (Real Love) is a pretty good mare and I was worried,” Baster said.
“I thought they might get to us the last hundred. To my bloke’s credit, two miles is a totally different story and he was the best stayer on the day.”
While Dabernig admits the stable wasn’t that confident going into the race, he knew that Purple Smile would run out a tough 3200m.
“We came into the race not all that confident,” Dabernig said.
“We were a long shot, we drew the outside gate. In the run he didn’t have a lot of favours but turning for home I could see that there was still a lot of horse underneath and he was travelling fairly well and he is a very tough genuine horse.”
“He keeps coming and he always sticks his neck out and genuine to the line. It’s a great thrill.”
Today’s win was Purple Smile’s fifth from twenty-three starts and his Adelaide Cup winning cheque of $256,000 took his over prizemoney to just over $400,000.
