Chris Alford urges The Rising to Claiming Masters success
Tony and Mary Dillon added another title to their bulging claiming trophy cabinet when The Rising took out last night’s Claiming Masters Final at Moonee Valley.
The son of In The Pocket gave the Lockwood South husband and wife combination their fifth major claiming success since 2001 when he overpowered Heza Hard Drive to take out last night’s $20,000 event.
The Rising’s win was the Dillons’ second straight Claiming Masters success following the win of Prince Bonton in last year’s event. They also won the 2001 Claiming Masters with Gold Hero.
That horse also won a Battle Of The Claimers title in 2002, a year after stablemate Nifty Knight won the same series.
Mary Dillon paid full credit to her husband for targeting the Claiming Masters with the six-year-old.
“He’d met his class and Tony decided that this was the way he was going to go with him and it’s paid dividends,” she said.
“Once he decided that was the way he was going to go we set him for this series and last night he was cherry ripe. I knew when they went out there (on the track) he was going to be very hard to beat.”
After starting from wide on the second row, The Rising was forced to sit three wide for the first 800 metres of the 2100m before eventually assuming the position outside the leader.
Soon after Heza Hard Drive whipped around the field to give The Rising cover and it was that pair that settled down to fight out the race.
Heza Hard Drive ($9.70) looked to have the race when he shot five metres clear rounding the turn, but The Rising ($3.50 fav) still had a bit to offer in the home straight and he gradually wore down Heza Hard Drive.
With Chris Alford in the cart he got home by a head with Bold Raider ($5.30) 10 metres away in third spot.
Mary Dillon admitted to some anxious moments early, but was proud of the way The Rising fought out the race. The mile rate was a slippery 1:58.0, which included a 58.1-second final 800 metres.
“When he was three wide it was a bit of a worry and then Heza Hard Drive just kept fighting, but our horse seemed to know where the post was and got there right on the line,” she said.