He was second past the post but first in the official Up And Coming Stakes results, the Chris Waller-trained True Detective scoring a win for the punters and firming in 2019 Golden Rose Stakes betting thanks to his protest win over Superium at Randwick on Saturday.
True Detective (outside) won the 2019 Up & Coming Stakes on protest over Superium (inside). Photo: Steve Hart.
Progressive Verrazano gelding Superium improved on his narrow fourth when under a length beaten first-up in Rosehill’s Listed The Rosebud (1100m) to cross the line ahead of True Detective in the Group 3 $160,000 Up And Coming Stakes (1300m) on Winx Stakes Day.
True Detective’s jockey James McDonald however launched a post-race protest claiming rival hoop Glen Boss shifted on Superium in the closing stages, which cost his horse the race.
The protest was subsequently upheld and True Detective was declared the Up And Coming Stakes winner for 2019.
“Really good effort,” McDonald said post-win.
“He’s a nice colt going forward.”
Wellington Boot winner Superium could get his chance to turn the tables however with both horses nominated for the Group 1 $1 million Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 28.
All the rage in Up And Coming Stakes betting, Waller’s Shamus Award colt True Detective jumped away better than last time out from the gates.
After settling into a positive position fourth in the run, True Detective was out to atone for his two lead-up seconds including going down narrowly at Randwick over 1200m on a Heavy (8) in a BM70 on August 3 as the beaten odds-on favourite.
He and McDonald got to the outside once on the straight after the front-runner Deference led the Up And Coming Stakes field around on the fence and into the home turn.
Moving up quickly, the punters’ pick True Detective moved up to challenge Superium who had tracked around in third before improving.
Superium would not go down however and fought back to hold off True Detective, who came with momentum.
There was a head to spare on the line, the top two fighting off a good field and stretching away from the rest, before the official finishing order was reversed by the stewards.
“He took the necessary steps from the first-up run, he showed that in the enclosure, paraded like a different horse,” Boss said of Superium.
“He still does things wrong but he’s got a lot of upside, fitness and mentally. He’s a quality individual especially when we get him up over a mile.”
Giving Waller two out of the three in the Up And Coming Stakes trifecta was the grey filly Lucicello who came from third last approaching the turn to finish in the money again after her lead-up third in The Rosebud.
“She’s probably just coming to the end of it, she showed me that when doing a few little things in the run today, but another good effort form her all the same,” the filly’s rider Tommy Berry said.
Pre-race Superium was at $101 in futures Golden Rose betting at Ladbrokes.com.au and he has since been trimmed into $26.
True Detective also firmed in pre-field in the Golden Rose Stakes odds from $51 into $26 to become just the third horse in history and the first since Manawanui (2011) to do the Up & Coming Stakes – Golden Rose double.
Winning trainer Waller however is yet to be convinced True Detective is up to winning a race like the Golden Rose 2019 just yet.
“Probably not the Golden Rose but I think he can measure up against the better horses at some stage of his three-year-old year,” Waller said.
“He’s still very green and he’ll eventually end up racing with blinkers on but he’s not ready for the yet.”
2019 Up And Coming Stakes Results: Finishing Order
| Place | # | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Br. | Wgt. | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | TRUE DETECTIVE | Chris Waller | James McDonald | – | 3 | 55.5kg | $2.30F |
| 2 | 5 | SUPERIUM | Joseph Pride | Glen Boss | 0.2L | 6 | 54.5kg | $8 |
| 3 | 2 | LUCICELLO | Chris Waller | Tommy Berry | 2.2L | 5 | 55.5kg | $5.50 |
| 4 | 8 | EDISON | Bjorn Baker | Brenton Avdulla | 3.7L | 10 | 54.5kg | $21 |
| 5 | 1 | ATHIRI | James Cummings | Hugh Bowman | 3.9L | 4 | 58kg | $10 |
| 6 | 6 | AVON RIVER | James Cummings | Ms Kathy O’Hara | 4.4L | 8 | 54.5kg | $31 |
| 7 | 7 | DEFERENCE | James Cummings | Ms Rachel King | 4.9L | 1 | 54.5kg | $20 |
| 8 | 4 | MANDELA | Peter & Paul Snowden | Tim Clark | 5.1L | 7 | 54.5kg | $12 |
| 9 | 9 | FAMOUS | Peter & Paul Snowden | Kerrin McEvoy | 6.7L | 2 | 54.5kg | $13 |
| 10 | 10 | PANDANO | Paul Perry | Sam Clipperton | 9.7L | 9 | 54.5kg | $31 |
