The Mission scores upset Schweppervescence win at Rosehill
THE Mission scored an upset win at odds of $21 with Sportsbet to break its maiden status on Saturday at Rosehill.
The Paul Perry-trained colt had only placed in two from five starts leading into the race, but it’s now a Group 3 Schweppervescence Handicap winner.
The colt by Choisir finished fourth in the Pago Pago Stakes leading into it after missing a start in the Group 1 Golden Slipper.
Shannon Perry was representing the stable and he was thankful that it missed the Slipper and it will likely push onto Randwick next week.
“The racing gods looked after us last week and a week later we are getting the chocolates. Onwards and upwards to Randwick now,” Perry said.
“We go to Randwick in good form and might be the fresh horse on the scene.”
Jockey Corey Brown set the pace throughout before it kicked strongly at the top of the straight. Race favourite Astoria chased hard, but The Mission had far too much in store.
The problem early on with the two-year-old was getting it to settle during the race, but those problems are still occurring as Brown stated.
“I’d ridden him before at Wyong and it was the first time with blinkers on and he was very aggressive with me, but he didn’t throw his head, it was a little bit shorter race,” Brown said.
“Today he got very aggressive and when I started to get on top of him, that’s when he started to throw his head and carry on like a young immature horse.”
Brown thinks the addition of blinkers could help the talented but troublesome colt, which is likely to step up over more ground next start.
“I think he will run the mile, maybe Paul and Shannon (Perry) should put a set of visors on him, just to help him relax a little bit more,” Brown advised.
“I know he probably needs the blinkers, but stepping up to the mile I think he is going to need something taken off.”
Astoria chased hard, but it had every chance to run down The Mission. Jockey James Doyle echoed those thoughts and believes a less-sticky track might have helped.
“The winner was just too good really. I crossed over without using too much energy early,” Doyle said.
“I think the ground is very sticky for him though. The day he won it was a bit fresher and a bit sloppier and he got through it a bit better.”
The well-fancied Muraahib finished off well into third and jockey Damien Oliver said the track conditions didn’t help its chances.
“I thought he ran well, his wheels just spun a bit in that on that soft ground the first time on the turn but he finished it off really well,” Oliver said.