Title Takeover As Squamosa Flops In Gosford

Joe Pride

Trainer Joe Pride's outsider Title has won the Listed Takeover Target Stakes at Gosford

The Takeover Target Stakes at Gosford have finished in an absolute boilover with Squamosa bombing out of the race at the top of the turn.

After leading them for the initial part of the journey he just couldn’t hack it as they straightened and he offered no fight as the other runners cruised past him with ease.

The first horse to take over was the outsider Title and he was still the first when they hit the line as well.

It was an extraordinary run from the horse as the entire race appeared to be all too easy, even though he jumped from barrier 14 and was caught three wide throughout the trip.

The only horses anywhere near him as they went past the post were two more roughies, Just Crewsin and Motspur

Skytrain which was looking for redemption after falling in this race last year ran home well as well for fourth spot.

While the major talking point will no doubt be the epic failure of Squamosa, take nothing away from the big effort put in by Title.

He wins the race for trainer Joe Pride with jockey Jay Ford the man who saw him to the line.

Pride says that while he was far from bullish going into today’s Takeover Target Stakes, he gave himself a bit of a chance knowing what form the horse was in.

“He’s a tough seasoned horse this horse, he was ready for it today,” he said.

While on paper it was a jump in class, Pride says the fields he’s been racing in have been far from mediocre.

“He’s been running around in those races that are borderline open races,” he said.

He says he didn’t give Ford any stringent instructions from the wide gate, he just didn’t want him to overcook the horse unless he knew he could win it.

“I said to Jay be positive, don’t drive him mad to be there because we’ve got an important assignment next week,” he said.

That important assignment next week may now not be quite as important given he’s already bagged himself a win in Listed company.

“There’s a chance we’ll back up next week in the Civic but we’ll just see how he pulls up,” he said.

“It’s nice to bring a horse up here and win this race.”

Stewards are expected to be having a close look at Squamosa’s run and plenty will be awaiting an explanation about what went wrong from Nash Rawiller and the Waterhouse stable.

Some people were making comparison’s about him and the race’s namesake however any such talk now seems redundant and so too does any trip to Royal Ascot.

He at least did better than Sue Grills Border Rebel who has now surely shown he’s in desperate need of a spell after going in reverse down the straight to finish a long last.

That’s off the back of a similar run in the Stradbroke Handicap where he was the 18th horse past the post in the 18 horse field.

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