Winning jockey Joe Bowdicth believes that Viddora should be allocated a slot in the 2018 $10m The Everest (1200m) at Randwick in the Spring after scoring a dominant win in the Group 1 $1m Crown Perth-Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot in Perth last Saturday.
Winterbottom Stakes winner Viddora could be set for the 2018 The Everest at Randwick. Photo by Jenny Barnes.
Bowdicth was able to give Viddora ($5) a nice run back off the pace before the mare exploded in the straight to record a one and a half lengths win over the Lindsay Park trained Fuhryk ($12) with the best of the local sprinters Durendal ($26) back in third position.
The Chris Gangemi trained Rock Magic was sent out as the $4.20 favourite but wound up in fifth spot while the other locally trained hope State Solicitor ($5) was eighth.
Bowdirch was very excited to have steered Viddora to her first Group 1 victory which also gave winning trained Lloyd Kennewell his first Group 1 winning trophy.
The Adelaide based jockey is certain that Viddora is now well established among the best sprinters in the land and said she deserves to find a slot in the 2018 The Everest.
“I think she’s right up to The Everest,” Bowditch told the Herald Sun.
“She’s right up there with the best sprinters.”
“I think she’s right up there in the ranks. She’s beaten a lot of those horses that are right up the top.”
Viddora had been knocking on the door at Group 1 level over the 2017 Melbourne Spring Carnival and prior to traveling to Perth was beaten by the narrowest of margins when second to She Will Reign in the Group 1 $500,000 Charter Keck Cramer Moir Stakes (1000m) at The Valley on September 29 and followed that up with an unlucky fourth to Hey Doc in the Group 1 $1m Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes (1200m) at The Valley on October 27.
“Take her Moir form, She Will Reign only just got here and we were probably bit unlucky and we carried 6.5kg more,” Bowditch said.
“She’s top class and she proved that here in the Winterbottom.”
Kennewell said that Viddora would now head to the Gold Coast and be prepared for the rich Magic Millions Race Day on January 13.
2017 Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes Results
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | VIDDORA | Lloyd Kennewell | Joe Bowditch | – | 7 | 56.5kg | $5 |
| 2 | 12 | FUHRYK | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Damien Oliver | 1.5L | 9 | 56.5kg | $12 |
| 3 | 3 | DURENDAL | Chris Gangemi | Shaun Mc Gruddy | 2L | 1 | 58.5kg | $26 |
| 4 | 7 | PROFIT STREET | Peter & Matthew Giadresco | Brad Parnham | 2.75L | 2 | 58.5kg | $21 |
| 5 | 1 | ROCK MAGIC | Chris Gangemi | Jarrad Noske | 3L | 6 | 58.5kg | $4.20F |
| 6 | 2 | SANTA ANA LANE | Anthony Freedman | Dean Yendall | 3L | 11 | 58.5kg | $9 |
| 7 | 11 | DAINTY TESS | Daniel Morton | Chris Parnham | 3L | 5 | 56.5kg | $18 |
| 8 | 8 | STATE SOLICITOR | Grant & Alana Williams | William Pike | 4.5L | 4 | 58.5kg | $5 |
| 9 | 13 | CAIPIRINHA | Simon A Miller | Joseph Azzopardi | 5.5L | 12 | 56.5kg | $20 |
| 10 | 10 | WHISPERING BROOK | Simon A Miller | Jason Brown | 5.75L | 8 | 56.5kg | $13 |
| 11 | 4 | DREAM LIFTER | Paul Hunter | Mitchell Pateman | 6L | 3 | 58.5kg | $61 |
| 12 | 5 | MALIBU STYLE | Neville Parnham | Steven Parnham | 12.75L | 10 | 58.5kg | $61 |
