Think It Over kept the success coming fresh extending his winning streak to four straight and setting himself up for a big autumn campaign in Sydney with a powerhouse victory in the Group 2 $250,000 Apollo Stakes (1400m).
Think It Over was too good for his rivals first-up in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m). Photo: Steve Hart.
In a star-studded edition of the important autumn kick-off, it was the Kerry Parker-trained Think It Over given the best ride in the race with Nash Rawiller settling the six-year-old son of So You Think third off the pace.
The speed up front was hot with I Am Superman a tearaway leader and Riodini hot on his heels in second with the top two in running putting a gap on the strung-out field.
Inside the final furlong Rawiller made his move on Think It Over who had saved energy in the stalking position third throughout before running down the front runners with ease.
“You could tell Tommy (Berry on I Am Superman) was going to try and use his fitness to his advantage,” Rawiller said after the victory.
“You are in a Catch 22. I’m on the best horse who we know is certainly not wound up for this race. But he was ready to do his job.
“It’s exciting to be on him when they do that. He was more confident than me at the 600m. I was still worried what was behind us. The horse just trotted along behind them.
“He travelled like the winner. I’ve watched it before on TV after a race. May have had a scotch in my hand that night but he looks like Kingston Town coming into a race. Just a beautiful horse.”
On the line after giving a great kick, the Group 1 winning galloper had nearly six lengths to spare over the James Cummings-trained mare Colette ($8) who was good making up ground the closing stages.
In third at a big price in an eye-catching run was the Kris Lees-trained Special Reward ($17), while the hectic pacemaker I Am Superman ($8) crossed in a dead-heat for fourth with Waller’s ATC Oaks winner Hungry Heart ($26).
Chris Waller’s returning Melbourne Cup winner Verry Elleegant was never in it, but was far from disgraced crossing four and a half-lengths back seventh ahead of bigger targets over further as the autumn progresses.
Verry Elleegant improved on a third in last year’s Apollo Stakes to win the Group 1 $600,000 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) and that race back at Randwick on February 26 looks the likely next-up option for the bulk of this year’s field.
Think It Over will be out to complete the Apollo Stakes – Chipping Norton Stakes for the first time since the Winx three-peat Winx (2016, 2017 & 2019).
He is now the $3 all-in favourite in futures Chipping Norton Stakes betting markets courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.
