Maryore’s Provincial Final crown gives Courtney career-best win
CANBERRA trainer Phillip Courtney landed the biggest win of his training career on Saturday when Maryore saluted in the $400,000 Provincial Championships final (1400m) at Royal Randwick.
Ridden by Tim Clark, Maryore settled at the back of the field before unleashing a powerful finishing run in the home straight to defeat Better Not Blue by three lengths on the line.
Courtney said he is still on cloud nine following the win.
“It’s still sinking in that we won,” Courtney told HorseBetting.com.au.
“Going into the qualifier I thought she was a genuine chance of finishing one, two, three and going into the final I thought the same – nothing made me change my mind.
“She has always been a little bit underestimated by people – particularly at that level because she was a two-time city winner up against provincial horses and she still started at $26.
“I think her racing pattern is what people shy away from because she tends to get back a bit – but that’s just her.
“I wasn’t surprised to see her win – but I was surprised by how easily she won.”
The victory took Maryore’s career record to six wins and two minor placings from 17 starts, with her earnings now in excess of $486,000.
Courtney says the five-year-old daughter of Onemorenomore and Mary D’Or finally appears to be learning what racing is all about.
“She has always been a nice horse, but she has had a few issues along the way which we have sorted out and now she is putting it all together on the track – she understands what she is doing.
“She is a quirky horse – you have to let her do what she wants to do early in the race.
“You can’t push her – if you do she seems to think ‘you seem to know what you are doing’ and she switches off.
“It was an excellent ride by Tim [Clark] – he rode her very cold which is not an easy thing for a jockey to do – you have to let the other horses go and risk getting out of touch with them.
“But once you get to the 600m she starts to work herself into the race – she does it automatically and she is quite happy to have a bit of encouragement from the jockey to tell her when to go – and she responds well.”
Courtney, who has only been training for 12 months full time says he is hopeful there are more big races waiting for his talented mare.
“I think she is capable of winning better races.
“It’s a bit exciting when you get one with ability – it gives you more options.
“I will sit down with the owners and have a chat over the next few days after we see how she pulls up and go from there.”