Sir Now claims Stakes success
Sir Now showed enormous strength with a wire-to-wire victory in the Sportsbet Behemoth Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville on Saturday.
The five-year-old gelding jumped to the lead from barrier 11 and took the extreme outside line around the 1200m, racing away down the straight along the outside rail.
With Connor Murtagh on board, the son of Sir Prancealot made a dash to the outside line as the field straightened up, holding on to when by just under a length from Cicala.
Saturday’s success was a maiden stakes victory for Sir Now, the 10th in his career and trainer Darryl Hewitt was thrilled with the result.
“I just feel so happy for Connor, he’s had nine starts for one win (on him), and everyone was starting to doubt whether the horse would run for him,” Hewitt said.
“But all those races were either (with) 63kg or listed races etc, and he knows the horse good.
“We’ve had a couple of placings in Group 3s – but this horse deserves it – you can hear by the crowd that he deserves it.
“It’s really special in a way.”
Hewitt said Sir Now could target the Listed W H Wylie Handicap (1100m) on September 12 but also has not ruled out getting a slot at the $1 million Golden Saddle (1200m) in Kalgoorlie on October 3.
Connor Murtagh celebrates Sir Now’s win at Morphettville on Saturday. Picture: Makoto Kaneko
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Pretty Baby made it back-to-back victories after a two-length victory in the opening event of the nine-race card, the Winning Edge Presentations Handicap (1050m).
The three-year-old filly won the Listed Sportsbet David Peacock Oaklands Plate (1400m) in June, and the training partnership of Gordon Richards and Damien Moyle are preparing for an assault on the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield in October.
Five-year-old gelding Justacclaim scored a hat-trick, winning third consecutive race after taking honours in the Peter Elberg Funerals Handicap (1200m) for trainer Ryan Hannemann.
Five-time Group 1-winning jockey Noel Callow continued his comeback to race riding in style, taking home a race-to-race winning double on Regal Ripper in the Croser Handicap (1544m) then Extremely Rowdy in the Fleurieu Milk Company Handicap (1050m).
