Caulfield rain a blessing for Reilmartini
Trainer Darren Weir was happy to see the heavy showers rain down on Caulfield and soften the track for Reilmartini.
Starting the day in the good range, rain began falling before the meeting while a heavy downpour before race two pushed the track into the soft range, ideal ground for Reilmartini by the time Saturday’s Walk For Phil Handicap was run.
Weir explained the three-year-old feels his knees and isn’t suited by firm tracks.
Registering his third win from four starts, Weir described Reilmartini as an ideal winter horse.
With jockey Daniel Moor taking advantage of barrier one, Reilmartini ($7) scored a half-length win from William Thomas ($6) with Moet Rose ($21) 1-1/4 lengths away third.
Weir said training Reilmartini from his beachside base at Warrnambool was ideal for Reilmartini.
“If he was working on the synthetic track or galloping on the sand all the time he just wouldn’t stand up,” Weir said.
“But having him trained down at the beach, doing different work, it takes pressure off his knees.”
Reilmartini is owned in Hong Kong by Peter Law who Weir said supplies him with as many as eight horses a year to train.
“If they’re any good they’ll end up in Hong Kong, which is fine,” Weir said.
“But with this bloke his knees wouldn’t have passed the vet examination.”